Microsoft sacks workers who protested company’s ties to Israeli military

Microsoft has fired Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal after they disrupted the company’s 50th-anniversary event in protest against its business dealings with the Israeli military, the Associated Press reports.

In a letter to Aboussad, Microsoft accused her of misconduct aimed at creating “notoriety” and maximising “disruption” at the high-profile event. Agrawal, who had already handed in her two-week notice, was told to pack up and leave immediately.

Footage from Friday’s event shows Aboussad taking the stage and confronting Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman as he unveiled new product features.

“You claim that you care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military,” she shouted. “Fifty-thousand people have died and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region.”o