Two former Microsoft employees allege they were dismissed in retaliation for their pro-Palestinian activism after holding a vigil for Gaza casualties outside the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington.
Data scientist Abdo Mohamed and software engineer Hossam Nasr, both Egyptian nationals, were terminated on October 24, the same day as the vigil, which was organized as part of the “No Azure for Apartheid” group, an internal Microsoft campaign against the company’s sale of cloud services to Israel, including the Israel Defense Forces.
Nasr, following his firing, stated that the tech giant aimed to silence those “humanizing Palestinians” and challenging Microsoft’s ties to Israel’s military. The group has since demanded an end to these contracts and advocated for employee free speech and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Microsoft, however, defended its decision, citing disruption to work and unauthorized use of company property. Yet Nasr and Mohamed contest this, noting that more than 200 employees participated in person and virtually and that Microsoft had been notified of the vigil beforehand. Local police, who attended the vigil, took no action against participants.
In an unexpected turn, the advocacy group Stop Antisemitism publicly announced Nasr’s firing nearly 90 minutes before he himself was informed, further stoking internal discontent. Nasr claims he had previously been scrutinized by HR for his comments on Palestine while allegations against him went unaddressed.
This controversy has highlighted tensions within Microsoft and across tech companies with defense contracts involving Israel. Google, facing similar protests, also fired over 50 employees earlier this year who objected to its contracts with Israel’s military.
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