Axel Springer Fires Lebanese Apprentice Kasem Raad for Questioning their Pro-Israel Policy

On October 20, 2023, Lebanese apprentice Kasem Raad was fired by Axel Springer after questioning the company’s pro-Israel policy through internal channels and posting a video on YouTube which disputes the Israeli military’s claim that Hamas beheaded babies on October 7.

The 20 year old started a three-year multimedia apprenticeship at the company’s TV channel, WELT TV, in early September. On October 7, Axel Springer’s editorial team published an internal article titled “We stand with Israel” on the company’s message board. Seeking clarity on the company’s position, Raad sent a private message to an employee overseeing the internal message board on October 11, inquiring, “Why does Axel Springer support Israel?” When no response was forthcoming, the following day Raad reposted the same question under the Israel article on the message board. This action resulted in an outpouring of angry comments, and Raad was summoned to an interview with his manager. Two days later, Raad was called in for a second meeting with Adib Sisani, Axel Springer’s Head of Communications, who cautioned him against opposing the company’s position.

On October 18, Raad uploaded a video on his personal Youtube channel that attempted to debunk the viral claim that Hamas beheaded babies during its attack – an allegation that has since not been confirmed. On October 20, he was called in for another meeting and received a termination letter. While the termination letter did not state a reason for his dismissal, Raad told The Intercept that during the meeting, the management explicitly cited his questioning and the video as the basis for their decision.

Axel Springer is a multinational media and technology company with subsidiaries including BILD, WELT, B.Z., Politico, StepStone and Upday. The company’s support for Israel is enshrined in their mission statement which outlines five essential principles, including, among others the “right of existence of the State of Israel.” Alongside this point, they also promise to uphold “freedom,” “democracy” and the rejection of “political and religious extremism and all forms of racism and sexual discrimination.”

According to Raad, the company prioritized their principles selectively: “I find the whole situation really ironic. One of the essentials of Axel Springer are the tenets of freedom and democracy. [...] In my case, they ignored all of their own essentials, and chose their support of Israel over everything else.”