Microsoft has terminated the employment of two employees who arranged an unofficial vigil at the company’s headquarters to honor Palestinians who lost their lives in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
According to the two individuals, they received notification of their firings via a phone call late Thursday, just hours after the lunchtime gathering they organized on Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington campus. Both individuals were part of a group known as “No Azure for Apartheid,” which has been critical of Microsoft’s provision of cloud-computing services to the Israeli government. They argued that the vigil was akin to other Microsoft-approved initiatives that aim to provide aid for those in need.
“There are many within our Microsoft community who have suffered the loss of family and friends,” stated Abdelrahman Mohamed, a researcher and data scientist. “Microsoft has not created an environment for us to come together, mourn, and remember those who cannot voice their stories any longer.”
In response to the incident, Microsoft confirmed on Friday that it had “ended the employment of some individuals in accordance with internal policy,” but chose not to reveal further specifics.
Mohamed, who hails from Egypt, noted that he now faces the urgent need to secure a new job within two months in order to transfer his work visa and prevent deportation. Another employee dismissed, Hossam Nasr, clarified that the vigil’s intention was to both “memorialize the victims of the Palestinian genocide in Gaza and highlight Microsoft’s role in this tragedy,” due to the use of its technology by the Israeli military.
Nasr indicated that news of his dismissal was shared on social media by the watchdog group Stop Antisemitism over an hour before he received any communication from Microsoft. The group has not yet replied regarding how it acquired information about the firings.
Months ago, the same group had publicly urged Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to take action against Nasr for his outspoken views on Israel. Nasr, who graduated from Harvard University in 2021 and was raised in Egypt, is also a co-founder of Harvard Alumni for Palestine.
This incident echoes similar events at Google earlier this year, where over 50 employees were let go following protests over the company’s technology deployment to the Israeli government during the Gaza conflict. These dismissals arose from internal unrest and sit-in demonstrations concerning “Project Nimbus,” a $1.2 billion initiative established in 2021 for Google and Amazon to provide cloud services and AI solutions to the Israeli government.
Microsoft emphasized in its statement regarding the firings that it is committed to sustaining a professional and respectful workplace. The company added, “Due to privacy and confidentiality considerations, we cannot provide specific details.”