Microsoft Dismisses Two Employees for Organizing Vigil for Palestinians in Gaza

REDMOND: Microsoft has terminated the employment of two workers for organizing an unauthorized vigil on its Redmond campus to honor Palestinians who have died in Gaza. The dismissals have sparked conversations about corporate policies and employee activism.

According to Anadolu Agency, the two employees were part of a group known as ‘No Azure for Apartheid,’ which opposes Microsoft’s provision of cloud-computing technology to the Israeli government. The Seattle Times reported that the employees were dismissed via phone late Thursday. Microsoft confirmed on Friday that it had ended the employment of certain individuals in accordance with internal policy but did not elaborate on the specifics of the case.

Abdo Mohamed, a researcher and data scientist who was among those dismissed, expressed disappointment, stating that Microsoft failed to provide a space for employees to collectively grieve and honor the deceased. He emphasized the impact on community members within Microsoft who have been directly affected b
y the conflict.

Hossam Nasr, the other terminated employee, explained the vigil’s intent was to draw attention to what he referred to as Microsoft’s complicity in the events in Gaza, due to the use of its technology by the Israeli military. Nasr also raised concerns about the manner of his firing, noting that news of his termination was shared by the watchdog group Stop Antisemitism on social media before he was officially notified by Microsoft.

The incident follows a similar pattern of employee dismissals in the tech industry; previously, Google let go of 50 employees after protests regarding the company’s technology being used by the Israeli government during the Gaza conflict.