Microsoft includes a number organizations based in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including at least one that fundraises to support the Israeli military, in its employee charitable giving platform. Yet the company has delisted the UN agency providing relief in Gaza, according to Microsoft employees petitioning the company internally to change its policy. The listing of the charities on the expansive platform means Microsoft will automatically match contributions.
Last week, a group of Microsoft employees began circulating a petition calling on the company to cease matching contributions to three organizations, the Ma’aleh Adumim Foundation, Ein Prat Academy for Leadership, and the Megilot Dead Sea Rescue Team, which they say “are in direct violation of international law,” citing the Geneva Conventions.
Since October 7, Microsoft employees have been embroiled in a fierce conflict over the company’s response to Israel’s bombing of Gaza. A report by Business Insider last November described an acrimonious culture within the company, with divisions among employees and management emerging as a result of the war and ongoing humanitarian crisis. One point of contention has been the continued provision of Microsoft Azure cloud computing and AI software to the Israeli military, support that has been targeted by an employee led-campaign called No Azure for Apartheid.
These companies are really awful and it shows how cruel you have to behave to survive in the business world.
Israel is clearly a better business partner than Palestine.
I’m happy to be on Linux now even if I know I’ll never be able to really get get out of reach of all these evil corporations because they are everywhere and in everything.
Israel main GDP is services mostly dealing with technology, pharmaceuticals, and science research. Their GDP is half a trillion dollars and they still get $4 billion a year from the US government.
Microsoft has research and development facilities in Israel. They recently had a conference for startup in Tel Aviv.
I’m happy to be on Linux now
Had to get that in there, didn’t you?
JFC, it’s a post about how M$ supports a genocide, and part of the response to the genocide is to BDS. What else is being on Linux in this context other than BDS?
It would have said the same thing if they’d commented “I don’t use MS operating systems any more” but Linux users have a reputation of being smug, self-gratifying wanks, so I see why the OP made his comment
You’re going to get much more of that in the coming years with the path Microsoft is taking their OS. Deal with it.
- a free computer user
Well to be honest I’m happy and proud that I don’t have to use Microsoft or Apple products anymore except for work.
So since the post was about these companies and what they’re doing, I feel like it’s okay to say I’m not using these anymore but Linux.
I’d be doing the same in a post about the ecological impact of meat and I’d say I ain’t eating meat anymore as that’s part of the solution, the same way Linux is if you want to avoid Microsoft.
