Citi Exec on Paid Paternity Leave Says 'Silence Is Complicity' Over Gaza—Then Deletes LinkedIn Post After Corporate Pressure

A Citi senior trader executive has been pressured by his employer–Citigroup–to delete a LinkedIn post commenting on Israel's actions in Gaza, as well as widespread starvation in the region.

Akshay Singal, who serves as Citi's global head of short-term interest rate (STIRT) trading, posted on LinkedIn that he does not support the situation unfolding in Gaza, attaching photos of malnourished children in Gaza.

'Until now, I've kept most of my thoughts to private channels,' Singal wrote on LinkedIn. 'But that's not enough. What's happening demands our attention, and our voice.'

'Israel's ongoing destruction of Gaza and killing of Palestinians is horrific and unacceptable,' he continued in the post, calling it a genocide. 'Silence isn't neutrality. It's complicity.'

Notably, Singal is on a six-month paternity leave. Sharing on LinkedIn, he previously said, 'I want to raise our little one with care and love—so he knows that both parents are there for him, and that both our careers matter equally. I'm looking forward to being fully present—for the cuddles, the poonamis, and everything in between.'

A former colleague of Singal's said that sharing posts about Gaza on LinkedIn was inevitably going to create problems with the bank, according to a report from efinancialcareers.

'Really dumb. Have your views for sure, but don't publish with Citi's name on your profile,' he said, adding 'particularly while you're on paternity leave and being paid for six months at home.'

The trader's post is viewed as a reaction of growing resentment, wherein corporate employers are becoming more open in showing their support to Palestinians.

Citi: 'We Removed The Post'

Citigroup has stated that they have asked its employee to delete the post, although it didn't elaborate on the reason for the request.

'We are aware of a social media post made by one of our employees that is inconsistent with our code of conduct,' a spokesperson for Citigroup told Bloomberg. 'The post has been removed, and we are reviewing the matter.'

Given the strong backing of Israel by President Donald Trump and his administration, numerous companies have chosen to steer clear of employee activism or public statements that could trigger political repercussions.

However, many pro-Palestine groups have called out companies such as Citi for their complicity in continuing to support Israel amidst the conflict in Gaza.

Visualising Palestine has released an infographic showing Citi's connections in Israel–including holding a stake in Bank Leumi and Israel Discount Bank, as well as leading a consortium of banks providing Israel with cash flow financing to buy weapons from dealers like Lockheed Martin.

Corporate Crackdown on Pro-Palestine Sentiment

US companies across healthcare and tech have increasingly disciplined or terminated employees for expressing solidarity with Palestinians.

In California, a registered nurse was fired by UnitedHealth Group after displaying pro‑Palestinian stickers on her water bottle—she's now suing under state law, arguing viewpoint discrimination amid permitted expressions of support for Israel elsewhere in the workplace.

Meanwhile, at Microsoft, several employees were dismissed after interrupting high‑profile events—such as its 50th anniversary celebration and CEO keynotes—with protests against the company's AI contracts with Israel's military.

Similar patterns have been observed at Google and Meta, where employees who publicly expressed pro‑Palestinian views have filed lawsuits alleging religious or political discrimination in termination decisions.