Citi forces top desk trader to delete LinkedIn post about Gaza starvation: report

New York Post

2 days ago

Citigroup is reviewing the conduct of a senior trader after he published a now-deleted controversial social media post criticizing Israel's military actions in Gaza and highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis in the region.
The post, which featured images of malnourished children, was taken down the same day it was published following internal action by the bank, Bloomberg News reported.
Akshay Singal, Citigroup's London-based global head of short-term interest rate trading, authored the LinkedIn post on Thursday, writing: 'Until now, I've kept most of my thoughts to private channels. But that's not enough. What's happening demands our attention, and our voice.'
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He went on to write that 'Israel's ongoing destruction of Gaza and killing of Palestinians is horrific and unacceptable,' referring to the conflict as a 'genocide.'
4 Akshay Singal, Citigroup's London-based global head of short-term interest rate trading, was told by his bosses to remove a social media post.
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He concluded the post by saying: 'Silence isn't neutrality. It's complicity.'
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Citigroup responded swiftly.
'We are aware of a social media post made by one of our employees that is inconsistent with our code of conduct,' a Citi spokesperson told Bloomberg News.
'The post has been removed, and we are reviewing the matter.'
Singal has not responded to a request for comment. The Post has sought comment from Citigroup.
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The incident underscores the fraught environment in which global corporations, especially those in finance and technology, are operating as tensions over the Israel-Hamas conflict continue to escalate.
Amid strong support for Israel from President Donald Trump and his administration, many firms have opted to distance themselves from employee activism or public commentary that might invite political backlash.
4 The post, which featured images of malnourished children in Gaza, was taken down the same day it was published following internal action by the bank, according to Bloomberg.
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Humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations, report that starvation in Gaza is widespread. According to aid groups, Israeli military operations have made it increasingly dangerous and difficult for staff to deliver food and humanitarian aid.
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The Israeli government has countered that Hamas militants are responsible for diverting aid intended for Gaza residents.
Singal, who took over Citi's short-term interest rate trading desk in March of last year, had previously praised the bank's workplace culture.
In a prior LinkedIn post announcing six months of paternity leave, he wrote: 'Stepping away from markets for this long isn't typical — especially for men. But it should be. I'm grateful to work at a firm that supports this.'
The episode at Citi comes as Wall Street firms and large corporations face mounting internal and external pressures over their handling of employee speech and activism related to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
4 'Israel's ongoing destruction of Gaza and killing of Palestinians is horrific and unacceptable,' Singal wrote.
Akshay Singal / Linkedin
At the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, which represents clients such as Goldman Sachs and Amazon, job applicants are now subject to screening for participation in Israel-Palestine protests.
The firm examines social media activity and student group affiliations, particularly those perceived as anti-Israel.
Applicants may be disqualified from consideration based on protest involvement, regardless of whether they engaged in antisemitic speech themselves.
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The policy, according to firm leadership, is aimed at protecting the company from reputational harm linked to antisemitic rhetoric at protests.
Meanwhile, Wall Street institutions have been targeted by pro-Palestinian protest groups who have accused financial firms of profiting from the war and called for divestment.
Major tech firms are dealing with similar unrest. At Microsoft, employees disrupted events including the company's 50th anniversary celebration and its Build developer conference in protest of the firm's contracts with the Israeli military.
4 'We are aware of a social media post made by one of our employees that is inconsistent with our code of conduct,' a Citi spokesperson told Bloomberg News.
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Protesters, including current and former employees, rallied under slogans such as 'No Azure for Apartheid' and claimed Microsoft's AI and cloud technology was being used in military operations that harmed civilians.
Several Microsoft employees, including Joe Lopez, Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal, were fired after interrupting events to protest the company's involvement.
Microsoft has denied that its services were used to directly target civilians in Gaza but confirmed that its military contracts remain active.
Google has faced similar criticism over its Project Nimbus—a $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government.
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Employees and activists disrupted the company's I/O developer conference in May, blocking entrances and demanding Google end its business with Israel.
Both Microsoft and Google have reportedly blocked or limited internal emails containing terms like 'Palestine,' 'Gaza,' or 'genocide.'
Employee groups at both firms continue to push for divestment and increased transparency, echoing broader calls for corporate accountability in the wake of international human rights concerns.