Microsoft recently terminated two employees, Abdo Muhammad and Hossam Nasr, who organised a vigil at the company’s Washington headquarters in solidarity with Palestinian civilians affected by Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza. Since October of last year, the Israeli bombardments have resulted in 43,000 deaths, with more than 100,000 wounded and 11,000 missing.
Muhammad and Nasr told the Associated Press that the vigil aimed to honour the victims in Gaza and highlight Microsoft’s role in the conflict. They also stated that the vigil paralleled other company-approved humanitarian efforts, but they were informed of their dismissal shortly afterwards.
Microsoft confirmed it had ended the employment of some individuals per internal policy but declined to provide details. Reports indicate that Microsoft has faced internal tension, with allegations that it disfavours employees who show solidarity with Palestinians while supporting those with pro-Israel views.
Also, Microsoft has reportedly disabled comments in its internal forums for Gaza-related discussions and advised employees to limit commentary to official statements.
Microsoft and other tech giants have faced similar employee-led opposition in recent years. Google employees have publicly opposed Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government, alleging the contract supports Israeli military operations. Employees at both companies have raised concerns about corporate influence in the region.