Global/Technology News
Microsoft has fired two employees after they participated in a sit-in at the office of company president Brad Smith, protesting the tech giant’s business ties with Israel during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
A Microsoft spokesperson said the employees were terminated for “serious breaches of company policies and our code of conduct” related to what the company described as a “break-in at the executive offices.”
The terminated employees, Anna Hattle and Riki Fameli, received voicemail notifications of their dismissal, according to the protest group No Azure for Apartheid. The duo were among seven protesters arrested on Tuesday after occupying Smith’s office, which also included five former Microsoft employees and external activists.
Protest motivations
Hattle stated, “We are here because Microsoft continues to provide Israel with the tools it needs to commit genocide while gaslighting and misdirecting its own workers about this reality.” The activist group demands that Microsoft cut ties with Israel and provide reparations to Palestinians.
Smith responded, “We respect the freedom of expression that everyone in this country enjoys as long as they do it lawfully.”
Microsoft and Israel surveillance claims
A joint investigation by the Guardian, 972 Magazine, and Local Call reported that Israel’s military surveillance agencies were using Microsoft’s Azure software to store extensive recordings of Palestinian mobile calls in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Microsoft has since engaged law firm Covington & Burling LLP to review these claims.
The company has faced prior protests from employees over its ties with Israel. In April, a protest during Microsoft’s 50th anniversary disrupted remarks by AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, leading to the firing of two employees involved in that demonstration.
Context of the Gaza conflict
The latest escalation in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict began in October 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military operations in Gaza have led to tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, widespread displacement, and a humanitarian crisis, with international bodies raising concerns of genocide and war crimes, which Israel denies.
Conclusion
The incident highlights increasing tensions between corporate practices and employee activism, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza fuels global debates about corporate accountability and ethical responsibility. Microsoft, like other major firms, faces ongoing scrutiny over its role in international conflicts.