An under-fire Amazon executive still has her job ‘as of today’ after a necklace she wore for a company video triggered a boycott.
A source would not be drawn on the controversy surrounding Ruba Borno’s Palestine necklace.
They would only say that Borno, a vice president of Global Specialists and Partner Organizations, is still currently employed by the e-commerce behemoth.
Borno caused outrage after being spotted wearing the necklace in a video promoting a company conference in Las Vegas.
The map that was around Borno’s neck was Israel including West Bank and Gaza Strip — territories that the Palestinians have demanded as the basis for an independent state.
Amazon was quick to remove the video and stated that the clip was never intended to be political.
The future of Ruba Borno, the vice president of Global Specialists and Partner Organizations for Amazon Web Services, looks uncertain amid backlash over a controversial necklace she wore in a company video
Borno, who is of Palestinian heritage, fled Kuwait with her parents during the first Gulf War in 1990.
The family came to the United States, where Borno received advanced degrees in electrical engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of Michigan.
She has worked at Amazon Web Services since November 2021, with previous stints at Experian, Cisco and the Boston Consulting Group, during which time she advised Obama’s task force for the automotive industry.
The controversy ignited just days after the one year anniversary of October 7, during which 1,200 Israelis were killed by Hamas terrorists.
Hundreds more were taken hostage, including Amazon employee Sasha Troufanov, who remains in captivity.
Troufanov, 28, an Israeli hardware engineer at an Amazon-owned subsidiary in Tel Aviv, was taken hostage along with three members of his family from Kibbutz Nir Oz, while his father was murdered in the massacre.
An estimated 42,000 Palestinians have since been killed in retaliatory strikes by Israel.
A similar necklace is for sale on eBay. The pendant sparked outrage and prompted many Amazon customers to threaten to boycott
Borno, who is of Palestinian heritage, fled Kuwait with her parents during the first Gulf War in 1990
The backlash to Borno’s video saw scores of Amazon customers vow to boycott the company in favor of competitors.
Borno also appears to have since deleted her X and Linkedin accounts.
In an article on her alma mater’s website, Borno states that she believes empathy, emotional intelligence, resilience and accountability are important leadership qualities.
‘It’s important to give credit to the team when things succeed, but it’s also really important to be accountable for when things go wrong,’ Borno is quoted as saying.
‘You are the leader. You can’t blame someone else.’ She also goes on to assert that it is essential to be ‘self-aware’.
An Amazon spokesperson told DailyMail.com: ‘The video shot was not meant to be a political statement, but we’ve taken down the video and will repost a new one in the coming days.’
Amazon added that its leadership ‘remains in regular contact with our teams based in the region to offer our support.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk