Google staff protest company's cloud services contract with Israel

Protesters, including former employees and local community activists, carry banner proclaiming, 'Google Project Nimbus fuels Israeli apartheid'

Raphael Kahan|08.31.23 | 16:36

Print Find an error? Report us

Related Topics

Israel

apartheid

Google

BDS

IDF

United States

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Google employees joined protesters claiming the company's agreement to provide cloud services to the IDF, was in aid of an apartheid state. The demonstration took place on Tuesday, during the Google Cloud Next Conference in San Francisco. 
'<< Follow Ynetnews on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok >>
Read more:
The AI that will replace you in meetings
Major Israeli university creates a Minecraft version of itself
Sky's no limit: The future of satellites is here – and it’s Israeli!
The LA Times reported that hundreds gathered outside the Moscone Center in downtown where dozens lined up and chained themselves together carrying a banner reading "Google Project Nimbus fuels Israeli apartheid.”
2 View gallery 
Protesters in San Francisco demonstrate against Google's deal to supply cloud services to Israel 
(Photo: Loren Elliott / Reuters)
Project Nimbus, valued at $1.2 billion, was signed in 2021 with Google Cloud - Google's cloud computing arm, and AWS - Amazon's cloud computing division, to provide cloud computing services to the Israeli government, the IDF, and Israeli government-affiliated companies.
This was not the first time Google employees voiced their concerns over the company's involvement in the project. Some of the protesters were affiliated with Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), while others were former employees, and social activists who support the Palestinian cause.
They claimed that Google prioritized revenue from the deal over ethical concerns about "morally questionable" transactions. Google Cloud's division recently achieved profitability for the first time this year, after nearly 15 years of operation. However, it remains unclear if there was a direct link between this newfound profitability and the deal with Israel.
2 View gallery 
The protests in San Francisco 
(Photo: Screenshot from "X")
"I am deeply concerned that Google lacks transparency in determining whether they are willing to work with the Israeli government," said Joshua Markson, a software engineer at Google Cloud.

3Comments

2.

Apratheid by whom?

Jewish Israel is 20% arab muslim, and arabs have equal rights with Jews. "Palestine" is 96% muslim arab, does not contain a single Jew, and forbids land sales to Jews. So who exactly is practicing apartheid?

Samuel Fistel| 09.01.23

00

These BDS do-gooders make me laugh.

These BDS do-gooders make me laugh. They know nothing about the situation on the ground or the region. They could care less about womens rights, human rights, the murder of thousands of children in Syria. The thousands of people in Arab prisons who are political, prisoners, or jailed for dancing or not wearing head coverings. Women are murdered or raped in many of these Arab countries annually while in government custody. One of the only thing bringing the Palestinians and Israeli’s together are companies like Google where Palestinians Israelis work? Multiple other Arab nations now embrace peace business with israel. The two have become fit up with the Palestinian authority, corrupt leader ship they are the ones keeping their people oppressed, while raking in not millions but Billions for themselves. The last thing the Palestinian leader ship, once his peace and prosperity for their people. If you speak to any peace, loving Palestinian, they will tell you that directly. These protesters use of the word apartheid in this case, shows the extent of their ignorance. It’s time for the Palestinian people to wake up and smell the coffee to realize that 75 years of bombings, hijacking, airplanes, stabbing civilians car, ramming women and children, has put them in the position they are in. Hamas recognized around the world as a terrorist organization, Islamic jihad recognized around the world as a terrorist organization. Should Google open offices under these regimes? The fact that this is not even a consideration should tell the protesters that they’re barking up the wrong tree. And that they need to protest these terrorist organizations and their leader ship to choose a path of peace and prosperity for their people.

Steve| 09.01.23

10

1.

Misuse of words

Aggreance for example, or turning "fax" into a verb. Do they know what is apartheid? Protecting one from evil murderers is not segregation. Building a fence around your home to protect from thugs is not segregation, not apartheid.

me| 08.31.23

00