Esteemed EO Global Board Members,

We, the undersigned members of EO, acknowledge the profound and sensitive nature of the ongoing events in Israel. We recognize the intricate narratives and experiences present among our diverse community, especially when such situations evoke a wide array of emotions and perspectives.

At its core, EO is an organization whose members are united by their commitment to personal and professional growth and development. We self-select into this organization to grow as humans and leaders in order to better serve our families, businesses and communities. We share a set of core values that unite and align our membership across the world. Taken directly from our EO website:

Together We Grow

We are committed to each other’s success and well-being—and we unite to celebrate those differences. We may be from different cultures, religions and have different lived experiences, but EO binds us together across cities and continents.

Trust & Respect

Each of us is unique and equal. This is fundamental to EO. Living this value with an open mind and appreciation for different points of view enables us to create a space where everyone can be their complete, authentic selves.

Thirst For Learning

We have an insatiable curiosity. It is through curiosity that we grow and widen our horizons. Learning is about more than a class or a workshop—it is about asking the right questions, trying new things and having curiosity about other members, their life experiences and their perspectives.

Think BIG, Be BOLD

We innovate and take risks to make the world a better place for our teams, our families, our communities, and for humankind. We think big, we are bold. We want to make a difference beyond ourselves. We see entrepreneurship as a way to create a better world for all, and we explore new opportunities to make a positive impact with our work.

Simply put, you, our board, failed to uphold every single one of these supposed “core values.” The members of the organization you volunteer to lead are beyond “saddened” about the violent, senseless, morally depraved massacre of innocent lives (global citizens) in Israel (you can name the country where you have a thriving chapter) on the part of the Iranian-backed, terrorist organization, based in and operating out of Gaza – Hamas. We don’t see the raping of women/girls, burning of humans, decapitation of babies, slaughtering of entire villages/families, and other unfathomable atrocities that have been/are being celebrated throughout Gaza (and other parts of the world) and proudly shared online for the world to see, as a “political” issue for EO. Quite the contrary, it should be pretty easy for an organization that helps power communities all over the world and lives these “core values” to call this exactly what it is and not be seen as political or somehow offend some of its members.

Where is the Trust & Respect in the dehumanization of Israelis (or people of many different nationalities and religions who happened to be in Israel at the wrong place at the wrong time) while at the same time sanitizing the barbaric & horrific actions of an organization that holds as its core value the destruction of the State of Israel (and America) and the extermination of Jews from the face of the Earth? Silence is complicity. You don’t need to be Jewish or Israeli to be outraged by the barbarians who slaughtered, raped, killed, abducted, burned and massacred, babies, women, young people dancing at a peace festival, elderlies who were Holocaust survivors. You don’t need to be Jewish… you just need to be human.

How are we Growing Together when our own board can’t even attempt to bind/unite us regardless of our nationality, religion or cultural backgrounds. We do understand that EO has a strong presence throughout the Arabic world. Shouldn’t that give our organization an advantage in helping tackle the myriad of complexities we are all facing. Why not leverage our members, humans that are committed to personal and professional growth, to help figure out how we, the global EO community, can contribute to helping solve at least some of the problems we are all having to grapple with? Isn’t that what we are as entrepreneurs? Why not challenge us to problem solve at a time when it’s so necessary?

In less time that it took you to come up with your empty response, we already have at least 2 EO members, Danny Kattan of EO South Florida and Effie Bar-Caspi of EO US West Bridge – Seattle, who have come up with a program tentatively called “EO Partners” whose objective is to ensure that comprehensive support is available to all EO members (along with their families and teams) in our Israel chapter. The designated EO Partner will become a dedicated support and resource for his/her Israeli counterpart to help them address whatever needs or challenges they will be confronting now and for the foreseeable future.

Why not spin up fact-based educational opportunities for our fellow EO members to quench their Thirst for Learning? When EO South Florida brought Andre Norman to speak about all of the social justice issues facing our American communities, Andre’s message was clear. It’s important to have conversations about the complex issues at hand and see where/how we can contribute to helping put an end to bigotry, racism and start to do better as a society. Where, when and how are we going to start having the necessary conversations to help our EO community bring real facts, knowledge and understanding back to their families, businesses and communities?

Instead of thinking small and being timid, let’s try to be innovative and take some risks to make the world a better place for our teams, our families, our communities, and for humankind. In the immediate term, what, if anything, can we be doing to help get innocent Palestinians out of Gaza? Beyond that, how can we create economic opportunities for our Palestinian brothers and sisters to give them a chance at a real life outside of the brutal and inhumane oppression they suffer every day at the hands of a morally bankrupt, hatemongering, terrorist regime? Wouldn’t that be thinking BIG and being BOLD?

We understand yours is a volunteer position. However, you chose to take on the challenge of leading this great and necessary organization. That choice comes with a duty to perform, to be great, to be the leaders that will continuously push EO to the highest levels of our respective countries and communities. If not now, when?

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

We submit this petition with a genuine aspiration for constructive and mutually respectful dialogue/action among all EO members, irrespective of their geographical, religious and political affiliations. It is our hope that statements from EO, both present and future on current events, will focus on fostering support for/among its members rather than divisions by conflating one incident with wider geopolitical nuances.

With respect and solidarity,

The undersigned EO members

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Original statement released by Global Chairman of EO’s Global of Board of Directors.

Statement on the War in the Middle East

10 October 2023 - The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is deeply saddened about the loss of life and suffering occurring in the Middle East and we are gravely concerned about the war unfolding that threatens millions of lives and livelihoods across the region.

We are a globally connected network of proactive leaders and problem solvers who share core values, and we believe entrepreneurs play a critical role in not only supporting their own communities but other communities around the world. They are often among the first to provide direct assistance during a crisis.

We understand there are many EO members who are following this news closely and seeking ways to offer compassion and humanitarian support to those affected. EO encourages members to connect, collaborate, and lean on each other for support during this time.

Our thoughts are with all impacted EO members, their families, and their business communities.