Protests by Employees Against Israel Collaboration at Microsoft’s 50th Anniversary Event

5 April 2025, during Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration, protests emerged against the company’s artificial intelligence collaboration with Israel. During the event, employees Ibtehal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal drew public attention to these controversial partnerships through their actions.

As Microsoft’s AI division CEO Mustafa Süleyman presented the Copilot product on stage, Microsoft employee Ibtehal Aboussad rose from the audience and approached the stage to voice her protest. Aboussad stated that Microsoft had supplied artificial intelligence weapons to the Israeli military and that these technologies were directly linked to deaths in the region. Addressing Süleyman on stage, she said, “You claim to prioritize using artificial intelligence for good, but Microsoft is selling AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty thousand people have died and Microsoft is supporting this genocide in our region.” She then threw a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, onto the stage and was subsequently removed by security personnel.

During the protest, Süleyman offered only a short response to Aboussad’s remarks. In a later statement, Aboussad clarified that she had not been informed that the systems she helped develop would be sold to the Israeli military or government, nor had she given any approval for such use. She also emphasized that she did not volunteer to develop software that violates human rights.

_{Ibtehal Aboussad, 5 Nisan 2025 - AP News}

During the same event, Microsoft software engineer Vaniya Agrawal seized the microphone while Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Satya Nadella were on stage to loudly call for Microsoft to sever its ties with Israel. Agrawal held company leaders accountable for technological support linked to deaths in Gaza and was removed from the event after her statement. She later announced her resignation from Microsoft via an email sent to company executives.

A research published by Associated Press in early 2025 indicated that AI systems developed by Microsoft and OpenAI were being used in Israeli military programs. These systems were alleged to have been used to identify bombing targets in Gaza and Lebanon, including in an airstrike in Lebanon in 2023 that killed three children and a grandmother. The protests emerged as a response to the use of these technologies in military operations without the knowledge or consent of employees.

In its response to the protests, Microsoft management stated that employees have various channels to express their views and emphasized that such actions should not disrupt business operations. The company also affirmed that its business practices adhere to high ethical standards.

The protests triggered various international reactions. In a statement by Hamas, Ibtehal Aboussad’s stance was endorsed; her attitude against technologies used in civilian deaths in Gaza was described as “courageous and attention-grabbing.” The statement called on technology workers in similar positions to take similar action. The United Nations and international human rights organizations were urged to document technology collaborations with Israel and impose sanctions on the involved companies.

Software engineers Vaniya Agrawal and Ibtihal Aboussad, who work in Microsoft’s artificial intelligence division, have been dismissed following a protest they conducted during an event.

According to a report published on the website of the American news channel CNBC, a group representing the employees has publicly announced that Agrawal and Aboussad were terminated for criticizing Microsoft’s collaboration with Israel.

The termination notice sent to Aboussad cited grounds of “intentional misconduct, insubordination, or deliberate violation of duties” and concluded that their actions were intended to deliberately disrupt the event. In Agrawal’s case, she was informed that her planned resignation, scheduled to take effect on April 11, would be immediately enforced. The company has made no public statement regarding the dismissals.

The protests occurred during Microsoft’s 50th anniversary event on April 5, 2025, when some employees publicly objected to the company’s AI partnerships with Israel. During the celebration, two employees—Ibtehal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal—drew public attention to the controversial collaborations.

While Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft’s AI division, was delivering a presentation about the Copilot product, Microsoft employee Ibtehal Aboussad left the audience seating and approached the stage to voice her protest. She stated that Microsoft was supplying AI weapons to the Israeli military and claimed that the technology was directly linked to deaths in the region. Addressing Suleyman on stage, Aboussad declared: "You claim that you care for using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty thousand people have died, and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region."

She then threw a keffiyeh—one of the symbols of Palestinian solidarity—onto the stage and was removed from the venue by security forces.

Suleyman gave only a brief response to Aboussad during the incident. In a subsequent statement, Aboussad said she had not been informed that the systems she helped develop would be sold to the Israeli military or government and emphasized that she had not given consent for such use. She also stated that she would not voluntarily contribute to software that violates human rights.

_{Ibtehal Aboussad, April 5, 2025 - AP News}

In a separate protest at the same event, Microsoft software engineer Vaniya Agrawal spoke out while Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Satya Nadella were on stage. Agrawal called on the company to cut ties with Israel and held Microsoft’s leadership accountable for the technological support allegedly linked to deaths in Gaza. She was also removed from the venue after her statement and later announced her resignation from Microsoft via an email sent to company executives.

According to a report published by the Associated Press in early 2025, AI systems developed by Microsoft and OpenAI were being used in Israeli military programs. The report claimed that these systems were employed to select bombing targets in Gaza and Lebanon and were involved in an airstrike in Lebanon in 2023 that resulted in the deaths of three children and a grandmother. The protests were a reaction to the use of such technologies in military operations without the knowledge or consent of the developers involved.

In response to the protests, Microsoft issued a statement noting that employees have multiple channels to express their views and emphasized the importance of conducting such expressions without disrupting company operations. The company also affirmed that its business practices are conducted in accordance with high ethical standards.

The protests drew international attention and reactions. In a statement, Hamas expressed support for Ibtehal Aboussad’s stance, describing her actions as "selfless and notable" in opposing technologies used in the killing of civilians in Gaza. The organization called on other technology workers in similar positions to act similarly. The statement also urged the United Nations and international human rights organizations to document technology collaborations with Israel and to impose sanctions on the companies involved.