Bank of America grapples with backlash over Arab workers moment of silence for victims since Oct. 7
On the one-year anniversary of the Oct.7, 2023 massacre, Bank of America is scrambling to put a lid on a planned “moment of silence” that has angered Jewish employees and sparked complaints to the bank’s CEO Brian Moynihan, The Post has learned.Last week, a so-called corporate-resource or affinity group called the Arab Executive Advisory Council called on its members to join a virtual meeting at work and “observe a moment of silence with each other to remember the tragic loss of life on Oct.
7 and since then,” according to an internal memo obtained by The Post.Jewish employees immediately took offense to the timing of the memo, which was sent on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m.– just as the Jewish holy day of Rosh Hashanah began. Their affinity group, the Jewish Executive Advisory Council, planned their own Oct 7 gathering to “remember the tragic loss of life” a year ago, according to a separate memo obtained by The Post.Indeed, many Jewish employees had no idea that there was a competing commemoration until later in the week since observant Jews refrain from work – including reading emails – during the holidays.Some were likewise galled by the “since then” language as a criticism of Israel’s military response to the massacre. Reps for both groups declined to comment on Monday.Over the weekend, sources said Jewish BofA employees angrily alerted senior executives including Moynihan and his direct staff that a bank-approved group was in their view seeking to counter their commemoration of one of the worst massacres of Jews since the Holocaust.“Why are they allowing something to go down like this and on this day?” one BofA employee fumed.Senior BofA officials worked Sunday night through Monday morning to quell the controversy, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.
One plan on the table is to convince the Arab group to hold a joint moment of silence with Jewish employee groups.A BofA spokesman told The Post “There are a num...