On Monday, Microsoft reportedly dismissed two software engineers, Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal, who had demonstrated opposition to the company’s alleged engagements with the Israeli military during Microsoft’s Copilot and 50th-anniversary event held the previous week.
An internal communication obtained by CNBC indicated that Microsoft noted Aboussad could have expressed concerns “confidentially with your manager, or with Global Employee Relations.” However, Aboussad chose to deliberately interrupt the speech of Microsoft’s AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman.
The protest took place last Friday when Aboussad interrupted Suleyman’s keynote address on new AI products by accusing him of having “blood on his hands.” Later that day, Agrawal disrupted a panel discussion that included Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, former CEO Steve Ballmer, and founder Bill Gates, by urging them to “cut ties with Israel.”
Following these events, Aboussad allegedly dispatched an email to Microsoft’s staff and executives, claiming certain dissenting employees had been silenced by the company. According to CNBC, the email included a link to a petition from “No Azure for Apartheid,” a group of Microsoft employees who have previously gained attention for their opposition to the company’s dealings with Israel.
