Two Microsoft employees who protested the company’s alleged support for Israel during its 50th anniversary celebration have either been dismissed or have resigned, sparking controversy and further activism, reports The Jerusalem Post.
The protest, organised by a group called No Azure for Apartheid, saw former employees Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal disrupt events featuring high-profile executives, including CEO Satya Nadella and founder Bill Gates. Aboussad accused the company of enabling Israeli military operations, stating, “Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military,” while Agrawal claimed its technology had contributed to the deaths of 50,000 Palestinians.
The group condemned the dismissals, declaring, “Microsoft thinks it can scare us… but they could not be more mistaken,” and pledged to escalate pressure on the tech giant.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) praised the employees for their stance, with its Washington chapter director saying they were “on the right side of history” and criticising Microsoft for placing profits above lives.
Microsoft responded that while it values employee expression, it requires protests to avoid disrupting business operations. The company reiterated its commitment to high standards in business practices.
The protest was part of a broader campaign against Microsoft’s ties to Israel, particularly through its Azure cloud services and artificial intelligence technologies. According to BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement), these tools are “central” to Israel’s military capabilities. In response, BDS recently launched a boycott of Xbox, calling on users to cancel subscriptions and avoid Microsoft gaming products, asserting, “Genocide is not a game.”
The protests follow similar incidents earlier this year, including interruptions at other Microsoft events and internal dissent by employees who accused the company of suppressing criticism related to Israel.
Photo credit: REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION/FILE PHOTO
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