Slack backs off Hummus Day celebration amid Middle Eastern conflict

Added 1 hour ago by Sabrina Sanchez

Some speculated it was because the notification sounds too much like the Palestinian militant group “Hamas.”

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(Image via Slack).
(Image via Slack).

SAN FRANCISCO: Slack has apologized for Hummus Day activity that apparently offended some users.

In an Easter egg, work productivity platform allows users to change their notifications to a woman saying the word "hummus," in reference to the Middle Eastern chickpea snack dip. And often on National Hummus Day, the company references the quirk on social media.

As of Wednesday, plans appeared to be proceeding as usual for this year’s Hummus Day. 

But on Thursday afternoon, the platform posted an apology on Twitter, noting that “this year, and specifically today, was not the right time to do that.” The tweet ended with Slack thanking its community for holding it accountable. 

The post prompted confused reactions from users who questioned the reason for Slack’s apology, though some speculated it is because of conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestinians, and a renewed boycott of Middle Eastern food company Sabra, which sells hummus products. Though U.S.-owned, Sabra has previously been the subject of scrutiny by Palestinian advocacy groups, as it is part of a joint venture between PepsiCo and the Strauss Group, an Israeli food company that provided financial support to Israel Defense Forces.  

Others suggested "hummus" sounds too much like the organization Hamas.

Others saw no need for an apology at all, and instead criticized Slack for doing so.