Many social activists and media commentators seem to think reflexively that CEOs are the only voices in civil society. In the days following Hamas’s brutal attack on Israel, prominent well-meaning voices on both ends of the political spectrum have been calling out CEOs for their perceived silence, with the prevailing media narrative that business leaders are missing this key moment for corporate social responsibility.
This is an error. Those missing in action are other pillars of civil society, including major NGOs. In contrast, business leaders, such as the CEOs of JPMorgan, Microsoft, Google, Mastercard, NVIDIA, Citi, Paul Weiss, Deloitte, Starbucks, UPS, and Walmart, are stepping up and showing the moral courage expected by their employees in condemning Hamas’s invasion.
