Google Terminates 28 Employees for Protesting Israeli Cloud Deal

Google has terminated the employment of more than two dozen employees who participated in protests against the company’s cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. The dismissals came after an internal investigation found that the protesters had disrupted operations at Google offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California. The demonstrators reportedly entered the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian and displayed banners with messages such as “No More Genocide For Profit” and “We Stand with Palestinian, Arab and Muslim Googlers.”

In response to the protests, a Google spokesperson stated that the actions of the demonstrators violated company policies and constituted unacceptable behaviour. Despite multiple requests to leave the premises, the protesters refused, leading to their removal by law enforcement. Following individual investigations, Google terminated the employment of 28 employees involved in the protests and indicated that further actions may be taken as needed.

The protests were organized by the group No Tech For Apartheid, which strongly condemned the dismissals, asserting that Google prioritized its contract with the Israeli government over its own workers. The group highlighted Google’s $1.2 billion contract with Israel for cloud computing services, known as Project Nimbus, and accused the company of retaliation against employees who opposed the deal.

Google Cloud’s contract with the Israeli government has been a subject of controversy, particularly following reports that Israel’s Ministry of Defense is a customer of Google Cloud services. While Google clarified that the contract pertains to workloads running on its commercial cloud and does not involve highly sensitive or military-related tasks, the protests reflect broader concerns about the company’s involvement with governments and military entities.

Amidst the fallout from the protests, Google also confirmed an unspecified number of layoffs as part of an internal reorganization. Impacted employees will have the opportunity to apply for other positions within Google, though the extent of the job cuts remains undisclosed.