Former Web Summit boss is not unique in being ‘cancelled’ but others have been criticised for staying silent on the conflict
The idea that “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” has been tested in recent weeks, most notably in the case of Paddy Cosgrave and Web Summit and his views about the Israeli/Hamas conflict.
It was a concerning exercise of power and an illustration as to why so many corporate bosses may be reluctant to express any opinion on matters of political and societal controversy for fear of what may result. Someone else outside of Ireland who retained a job but who was demoted because of her social media posts, was Kitty Laing, now the former head of comedy at talent agency United Artists.
Back here in Ireland, at a less senior level, Courtney Carey, an employee in Dublin for over four years at an Israeli-owned tech company called Wix, one of about 500 the company has here, was fired because, using LinkedIn, she described Israel as a “terrorist state” and criticised the “indiscriminate” bombing of Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces.
The easy and obvious thing is to say nothing. But sometimes that doesn’t work either. The Writers Guild of America – which was unified for months in it strike against the Hollywood studio giants – has experienced its own bitter division arising from the lack of a public statement condemning the Hamas attack on Israel.
In recent years many companies have felt compelled to make gestures and changes to prove inclusivity, making some happier but infuriating others. When Disney took the side against the law, DeSantis opportunistically engaged in a long-running campaign, not just to limit the autonomy of Disney World, one of his state’s largest employers, but to prove to others around the US – to suit his presidential ambitions – that he would confront the “woke” agenda.
But there may also have been domestic audience issues at play, with Apple TV+ serving nearly 20 million customers in the US alone. Given that Stewart had not been afraid to confront the topics of gun control and gender identity, it is not unreasonable to assume that Stewart – the former Daily Show host who is Jewish – might also have sought to turn his critical eye on Israel’s behaviour in Gaza in the series and also the 2024 US presidential election race.
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