Microsoft has terminated two employees after they protested the company’s contract supplying artificial intelligence (AI) technology to the Israeli military during the company's 50th anniversary celebration. The employees, Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal, were involved in an interruption at the event, which included remarks by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, reports AP.
According to a worker advocacy group, Microsoft accused Aboussad of misconduct in a termination letter issued on Monday, claiming her actions were intended to "gain notoriety and cause maximum disruption" to the event. The company also stated that Agrawal, who had already announced her resignation, was ordered to leave five days earlier than planned.
The protest began on Friday when Aboussad, a software engineer based at Microsoft’s Canadian headquarters in Toronto, interrupted Suleyman’s stage presentation, accusing Microsoft of enabling “genocide” in the Middle East. Aboussad shouted that Microsoft’s AI powers weapons sold to the Israeli military, resulting in the deaths of thousands, including 50,000 people in Gaza. The disruption caused Suleyman to pause his address, which was livestreamed to the public. Aboussad also threw a keffiyeh scarf, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, onto the stage before being escorted out.
A second protester, Vaniya Agrawal, interrupted another segment of the anniversary event, also protesting the company’s collaboration with Israel. Agrawal, who had been planning to leave Microsoft on April 11, was informed that her resignation was being made effective immediately.
Microsoft justified the terminations, stating that Aboussad's conduct was “hostile, unprovoked, and highly inappropriate,” and that she should have voiced her concerns through proper channels instead of disrupting the event. The company said that her actions were "so aggressive" that security had to escort her out.
Aboussad and Agrawal are both vocal opponents of Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform, which they believe supports Israel’s military operations. The advocacy group No Azure for Apartheid has led campaigns against the company's contracts with Israel, including those involving AI systems used in military targeting.
Earlier this year, an Associated Press investigation revealed that AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI were used by Israel’s military to select bombing targets in Gaza and Lebanon, which sparked further controversy.
In response to the protest, Microsoft reiterated that the company provides various channels for employees to express concerns, but that protests must not disrupt business operations. The company’s statement underscored its commitment to upholding high business standards.
This was not the first public protest against Microsoft’s contracts with Israel. In February, five Microsoft employees were ejected from a meeting with CEO Satya Nadella for protesting similar contracts.
The issue of corporate involvement in military contracts has also led to similar protests at other tech companies. Last year, several Google employees were fired after staging sit-ins over its $1.2 billion contract, Project Nimbus, with the Israeli government, providing AI technology for military use.
Aboussad and Agrawal’s actions have sparked further discussions about employee rights, corporate responsibility, and the ethics of tech companies working with military organizations.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
