Esteemed YPO Global Members and Board of Directors,

We, the undersigned members and spouses of YPO, acknowledge the profound and sensitive nature of the ongoing events between Israel and Palestine. We recognize the intricate narratives and experiences present among our diverse community, especially when such situations evoke a wide array of emotions and perspectives.

In light of anti-semitic sentiment we’ve been witnessing around the world, and regrettably ones we have seen firsthand from other YPO members, we humbly seek our fellow YPO community’s reassurance and support during this time of national, religious and existential crisis. The attacks on October 7th resulted in the single largest loss of Jewish life since six million or more of our people were methodically rounded up and slaughtered in Europe. We are shaken to our cores, and the world seems, concerningly, divided.

Normally, divisions and contrary viewpoints are something we welcome, but in this case these viewpoints have included calls to further violence against Jewish people, and support for an organization whose charter makes explicit calls for the killing of all Jewish people.

Our petition to fellow YPOers is simple, please sign this letter in condemnation of Hamas as terrorists and its October 7th attack as terrorism. Please sign this in support of your fellow Jewish and Israeli YPO members, and in support of YPO Global Board of Directors’ stance of supporting us during this challenging time.

We have observed the various viewpoints expressed by fellow members regarding the recent statement from the Board of Directors (BOD). While we firmly agree with YPO's steadfast commitment to neutrality and providing a platform that embraces and values the multiplicity of voices within its membership, we also believe that YPOers around the world should and would condemn ANY organization or government (regardless of nationality or religion) for murdering, burning, dismembering, raping and/or desecrating over one thousand men, women, children, elderly and young adults in a matter of days.

Standing against this savagery is not meant to endorse or take sides in the Israel-Palestine conflict, but rather to reassure and show support for your fellow YPOers who have lost friends and family members, or remain fearful for the wellbeing and safety of their loved ones. We are deeply concerned that other members of YPO are seeking to use this attack as a means of debating a wider and more complex political issue, rather than standing by those of us in the same organization who are afraid for their lives, and those of their families around the world.

Nevertheless, we appreciate the initial statement issued by the BOD, while simultaneously petitioning YPO Global BOD on two important points:

1. Revising “Attack on Israel”: The statement should be clear and be revised to mention “Terrorist attack on Israeli citizens” since innocent citizens were the obvious target of the attack. Furthermore, it should note that the attack was perpetrated by the “terrorist organization of Hamas”, which is an important distinction to make for our Palestinian colleagues so there is a clear distinction between the terrorist group and the Palestinian people.
2. Not amending your original statement to be about the conflict at large: With respect to the complexity of the situation between Israel and Palestine, we petition the BOD not to make this statement about the larger situation between the two peoples. Notably because this is a situation perpetrated by Hamas and not Palestine.

We submit this petition with a genuine aspiration for constructive and mutually respectful dialogue among all YPO members, irrespective of their geographical and political affiliations. It is our hope that statements from YPO, both present and future on current events, will focus on fostering support for members rather than divisions by conflating one incident with wider geopolitical nuances.

With respect and solidarity,

The undersigned YPO members and spouses

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Original statement release by Global Chairman and Deputy Chairman of YPO Global of Board of Directors.

"To the YPO Community,

As the current Global Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the YPO Global Board of Directors, we are reaching out to our members in response to this weekend's attack on Israel and the subsequent violence.

We are aware that YPO members have experienced loss, are fearful for family and loved ones and are concerned about escalating violence in the region. We share the heartbreak of those impacted and the two of us are praying for our members and for all of humanity. We know that many of our members and their families are working hard to bring peace and prosperity in their own countries. Now more than ever, the world needs better leaders, and members of the YPO community are uniquely positioned to drive positive change.

In response to these events, we have already seen large numbers of our members engaging with many different humanitarian organizations. That is the kind of leadership we have come to expect from our members, within our many communities, on countless causes every year.

YPO was created 73 years ago for one specific reason to support one another without judgment. Our principle aim is to support our members. At a time like this, where pain, sadness, anger and fear may be overwhelming, we hope that you are surrounded by people who listen and support you, and as a YPOer, we hope you lean into your forum.

We support our members passionately and respectfully speaking out for peace and conflict resolution. We have members from more than 140 countries, who represent a wide variety of languages, religion, and cultural customs bound by a shared set of values. With that in mind, we want to reiterate to our members that YPO has a very clearly defined Code of Conduct, to which every member agrees annually upon membership renewal. Fostering hatred or conflict within our community, or using YPO as a platform to seed political division, is not acceptable.

While WhatsApp groups and other similar communication channels are an efficient way for our global membership to connect, these channels can prove a poor medium of expressing our shared respect.

Our hearts are broken and we are praying for all YPOers and the global community. We have received hundreds of messages and calls today on this topic and we are actively engaged in supporting those who need it. Please join us in praying for our members and their families at this very difficult time. YPO will continue to monitor the situation and the well-being of our members.

Sincerely,

Raymond Watt (YPO Pacific West), YPO Global Chairman Sofyan Almoayed (YPO Khaleej), YPO Global Deputy Chairman"