Microsoft 'fires' two employees for sympathizing with people of Gaza

Microsoft has reportedly dismissed two employees for expressing solidarity with Palestinians and organizing a vigil at the company’s Redmond, Washington campus to honor those killed in Gaza amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Associated Press reported that the employees were dismissed via phone. Both were members of the “No Azure for Apartheid” coalition, a group opposing Microsoft’s provision of cloud-computing technology to Israel.

Abdo Mohamad, one of the dismissed employees, said the vigil was intended to remember families and friends lost in Gaza, while criticizing Microsoft’s lack of support for employees grieving the situation.

Another dismissed employee, Hossam Nasr, stated that the vigil aimed to honor Palestinian victims and draw attention to Microsoft's alleged role in the conflict, citing its technology used by Israeli forces.

Nasr also raised concerns about the firing process, noting that a group called Stop Antisemitism disclosed his termination before he received formal notice from Microsoft.

This incident follows Google’s April announcement to terminate 28 employees amid protests against the Nimbus project, a $1.2 billion cloud services contract awarded to Google and Amazon for Israel, which has sparked employee concerns over the use of tech in military operations.