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A woman cleans the store window of the Amazon house after activists sprayed paint on its logo during a protest on the opening day of the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 20, 2025.
Yves Herman | Reuters
Amazon has terminated the employment of Ahmed Shahrour, a Palestinian software engineer previously suspended last month for protesting the tech giant’s involvement with the Israeli government. Shahrour worked within Amazon’s Whole Foods division in Seattle.
The termination, confirmed Monday, follows a September suspension stemming from messages Shahrour posted on the company’s internal Slack channels criticizing Amazon’s ties to Israel, specifically referencing the $1.2 billion Project Nimbus contract.
Amazon stated its investigation revealed Shahrour violated company standards of conduct, its written communication policy, and acceptable use policies. The company alleged that Shahrour “misused company resources, including by posting numerous non-work-related messages pertaining to the Israel-Palestine conflict.”
According to a communication from Amazon Human Resources provided to CNBC, Shahrour will receive detailed information regarding his termination, including benefits and final pay. Amazon acknowledged Shahrour’s contributions during his tenure and wished him well in future endeavors.
An employee advocacy group associated with Shahrour released a statement asserting he was fired after a five-week suspension “for protesting Amazon’s $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government and military, known as Project Nimbus, which he states constitutes collaboration in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
Shahrour actively protested and distributed flyers at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters, urging the company to discontinue the Nimbus contract, which provides the Israeli government with artificial intelligence tools, data centers, and other infrastructure. Project Nimbus has faced considerable internal and external scrutiny, raising ethical questions about tech companies’ role in geopolitical conflicts.
In a statement to CNBC, Shahrour characterized his dismissal as “a blatant act of retaliation designed to silence dissent from Palestinian voices within Amazon and shield Amazon’s collaboration in the genocide from internal scrutiny.” This sentiment reflects a growing concern among some tech workers regarding the ethical implications of their employers’ contracts with governments and military organizations.
Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser addressed the situation in a statement to CNBC, emphasizing that the company does not tolerate “discrimination, harassment, or threatening behavior or language of any kind in our workplace.” Glasser added, “When any conduct of that nature is reported, we investigate it and take appropriate action based on our findings.”
This termination coincides with Hamas’ release of the first seven surviving Israeli hostages, a significant development in a ceasefire deal brokered with the assistance of U.S. President Donald Trump. The agreement also includes the scheduled release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners by Israel.
The conflict, ignited by the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the taking of hundreds of hostages, has led to a sustained Israeli response. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the Israeli campaign has resulted in over 67,000 Palestinian deaths, including thousands of civilians.
Across the technology sector, employee activism and dissent related to business dealings with the Israeli military have become increasingly prevalent. Companies face a delicate balancing act between fulfilling contractual obligations, addressing employee concerns, and maintaining a productive work environment. The situation highlights the complex intersection of technology, ethics, and international politics.
Earlier in the week, a Microsoft engineer resigned after 13 years, citing concerns about the company’s continued provision of cloud services to the Israeli military and a perceived unwillingness among executives to discuss the conflict in Gaza. Scott Sutfin-Glowski, a principal software engineer, stated in a letter to colleagues: “I can no longer accept enabling what may be the worst atrocities of our time.”
Sutfin-Glowski referenced an Associated Press report from February indicating that the Israeli military held at least 635 Microsoft subscriptions, with the majority remaining active. This incident underscores the growing pressure on tech firms from within their own ranks to critically evaluate the ethical implications of their business ventures.
In August, Microsoft terminated two employees for participating in a protest inside the company’s headquarters related to its work with the Israeli military. Google also terminated 28 employees in April 2024 following protests regarding labor conditions and the company’s involvement in Project Nimbus.
While Amazon has not directly acknowledged the Nimbus contract beyond stating it provides technology to customers “wherever they are located,” Google has stated it provides generally available cloud computing services to the Israeli government that are not “directed at highly sensitive, classified, or military workloads.” Microsoft stated in August that its work with the Israel Defense Forces primarily involves cybersecurity for the country and affirmed its commitment to providing technology ethically.
The internal turmoil at these major tech companies reflects a broader societal debate about the role of technology in international conflicts and the responsibility of tech workers to challenge potentially unethical applications of their work. The long-term implications for the tech industry’s relationship with governments and militaries remain to be seen.
— CNBC’s Jordan Novet contributed to this report.
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