Paresh Dave
Over the past year, Cisco publicly looked like one of the few tech companies that had avoided internal backlash over its response to the war in Gaza. Chuck Robbins, the CEO of the Silicon Valley giant known for its routers, cybersecurity services, and WebEx video calling, issued a statement last November acknowledging the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians.
And as recently as two months ago, Francine Katsoudas, Cisco’s chief people, policy, and purpose officer, smiled as she posed for photos with many of the company’s employee organizations, including the one for Palestinians. However, this photo later became a source of significant contention within the company.
Behind the scenes, eight current and one former employee who spoke with WIRED allege, Cisco has marginalized its internal Palestinian advocacy groups and their hundreds of members. Throughout a turbulent period beginning this past July, the people allege that the company has failed to promptly and adequately police harassment of Palestinian employees and their allies on its intra-company forums despite detailed complaints. They further allege that Cisco halted an internal petition calling for limiting sales to Israel over potential human rights concerns.
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