Opposition to Israel’s war on Gaza is no longer limited to Arabs or Muslims. Around the world, people of all backgrounds — and from within the very heart of Big Tech — are rising up against complicity in genocide. But for some, speaking out comes at a cost.
Two courageous women — Indian engineer Vanya Agarwal and Moroccan software developer Ibtihel Abu Saad — recently lost their jobs at Microsoft after publicly denouncing the company’s involvement in arming Israel with AI and cloud technologies.
In an exclusive interview with Arabi21, Vanya Agarwal recounts how she and other former and current Microsoft employees launched the “No Azure for Apartheid” campaign — demanding the tech giant end its collaboration with the Israeli military and its ongoing automated genocide in Gaza.
“I Was Fired, But I Wear It As a Badge of Honour”
“We couldn’t celebrate Microsoft’s 50th anniversary while its hands were dripping with blood,” said Agarwal.
She was terminated on April 7 — along with colleague Ibtihel Abu Saad — after staging a protest during the company’s anniversary celebrations. Despite the termination, Agarwal remains defiant:
“Losing my job is a badge of honour. It only confirms Microsoft’s failure to uphold basic principles of free expression and human dignity — especially when it comes to Palestine.”
According to her, Microsoft continues to silence dissent, retaliate against whistleblowers, and ignore employee demands — all while profiting from the machinery of occupation and mass killing.
“Microsoft Is No Longer Just a Tech Company — It’s a Weapons Manufacturer”
“Tech companies we once believed were building a better world have become hidden arms dealers,” Agarwal explains.
She accuses Microsoft — along with Google, Amazon, Meta, and Palantir — of being deeply embedded in the U.S. military-industrial complex, using their platforms and tools to automate surveillance, targeting, and execution.
These corporations, she argues, are no longer neutral enablers of innovation. Instead, their CEOs are “merchants of war.”
The Military Roots of Microsoft’s Operations in Israel
Agarwal reveals damning details:
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- Microsoft has contracts with the Israeli Ministry of Defense worth over $133 million.
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- It provides over 600 active Azure cloud accounts to Israeli military units, including Unit 8200 and Unit 81 — both of which are deeply involved in illegal surveillance and targeting of Palestinians.
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- Microsoft technologies are central to automated killing systems like Gospel, Lavender, and Where’s Daddy — AI-powered platforms used by the Israeli military to generate kill lists, create targeting databases, and streamline mass assassinations in Gaza.
“Microsoft’s infrastructure powers Israel’s automated genocide,” she says. “It’s not just tech — it’s a digital arsenal.”
She adds that Microsoft deploys engineers and contractors directly into classified military projects, working both remotely and inside military bases. Their support includes technical consulting, real-time debugging, and software development for surveillance systems.
Furthermore, Microsoft also provides infrastructure to Palantir, which she calls the “AI arms dealer of the 21st century” — a company notorious for profiting from mass surveillance, predictive policing, and military operations in illegally occupied territories.
“This Is Not Freedom — It’s Repression Disguised as Policy”
Agarwal also spoke of the rising persecution of pro-Palestine voices in the United States, particularly in tech and academia:
“Students are being silenced. Protesters are jailed. Immigrants are deported. It’s terrifying.”
But she insists: “Now is not the time to retreat — it’s the time to act.”
“You don’t need to risk your job or safety to support Palestine. Even silent, humble work — spreading awareness, boycotting products, or commenting on social media — makes a difference.”
“Microsoft Is the Backbone of Israel’s Digital War Machine”
According to Agarwal and data from the BDS Movement’s Microsoft Complicity Report, Microsoft provides:
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- Cloud services to Israeli intelligence units
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- AI training platforms to occupation forces
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- Hosting infrastructure for military applications
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- Staff deployed in secret military collaborations
And all this while claiming to “empower every person and organisation on the planet to achieve more.”
“How can a company that funds and fuels apartheid pretend to stand for inclusion or innovation?” she asks.“They empower genocide, not people.”
“We See You, Gaza. And We Won’t Be Silent.”
In her final message to the people of Gaza, Vanya Agarwal fought back tears:
“There’s nothing I can say that will ease your pain. But know this — we see you. We honour your resistance. And we will keep fighting for a free Palestine in our lifetime.”
She called on all people of conscience, especially tech workers, to:
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- Refuse to work on tools that serve occupation
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- Boycott Microsoft products
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- Flood Microsoft’s social media with demands to cut ties with Israel
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- Speak out — because silence is complicity
“They can fire us. But they can’t erase the truth.”
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