Edited by: Fern Sidman

In a startling incident, an Amazon employee has been suspended after inserting a note that read “Death to Zionists” inside a book about Israel before it was sent to a customer. As was reported on The Algemeiner.com web site, the incident has raised concerns about the potential misuse of a trusted platform for expressing personal beliefs, prompting Amazon to launch an investigation into the matter.

Michael Sharp, a customer who ordered a copy of “Israelophobia: The Newest Version of the Oldest Hatred & What to Do About It” by Jake Wallis Simons, received the book on December 16, according to the Algemeiner.com report.  To his shock, he discovered a note inside the book that read “Death to Zionists.” The note, a small scrap of paper with the word “Zionists” misspelled, was inserted about halfway through the book, the report added. Sharp immediately reported the incident to Amazon, expressing his surprise and disappointment.

Upon learning about the incident, Amazon took immediate action, suspending the employee responsible for inserting the note. An Amazon spokesperson stated, “We have taken this issue very seriously and an employee has been suspended pending the outcome of our investigation,” as was indicated in the Alfemeiner.com report. The company has also issued an apology to both the impacted customer, Michael Sharp, and the author, Jake Wallis Simons.

Jake Wallis Simons, the editor of The Jewish Chronicle and the author of the book, expressed his concerns about the incident. Simons’ book, “Israelophobia,” explores the history of animosity towards Israel and differentiates between criticism and hatred of the Jewish state, the Algemeiner.com reported. The author emphasized the need for reasonable disagreement based on reality rather than bigotry. The incident raises questions about the intersection of personal beliefs and professional responsibilities within a global e-commerce giant like Amazon.

In response to the incident, Amazon offered Michael Sharp a £100 gift card as a gesture of goodwill. As was noted in the Algemeiner.com report, the company apologized for the incident, recognizing the gravity of the situation and the impact it may have had on the customer’s experience.

As the investigation unfolds, questions about the responsibilities of employees in a global marketplace and the measures in place to prevent such incidents from recurring will likely come to the forefront of discussions.