Google Fires Workers Protesting Israeli Contract

Google has terminated additional employees following sit-in protests against Project Nimbus, a cloud computing contract with the Israeli government and military. The dismissals come in the wake of nearly 30 workers being let go after similar demonstrations during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Reports indicate that Google has fired at least 20 more workers in connection with protests at company offices in Sunnyvale and New York on April 16, according to The Verge. This adds to the 28 employees fired in connection with the demonstration the previous week.

Jane Chung, a spokesperson for No Tech for Apartheid, the activist group behind the protests, stated that the latest firings bring the total number to more than 50. The recent terminations included “non-participating bystanders,” Chung said, indicating that Google’s actions are perceived as an attempt to suppress dissent and exert control over its workforce.

A Google spokesperson confirmed that the company had terminated more workers as part of its investigation into the protests. The spokesperson emphasized that each individual fired was personally and definitively involved in disruptive activity inside the company’s buildings, a fact that was carefully verified.

In a memo to employees addressing the unrest, CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted the importance of maintaining Google’s culture of open discussion while emphasizing the company’s policies and expectations for its workers. Pichai stressed that Google is a place of business, not a platform for personal agendas or disruptive behavior. He called on employees to focus on the company’s mission of organizing the world’s information and making it universally accessible and useful.

The protests at Google coincide with global demonstrations against the Israeli government and military’s actions in Gaza. Israel has faced criticism for its treatment of civilians and for impeding the flow of aid into Gaza, which is on the brink of famine. The conflict has led to a surge in Islamophobia and antisemitism worldwide.

The Project Nimbus contract, valued at $1.2 billion, involves cloud computing and artificial intelligence services for the Israeli military and government. Google is partnering with Amazon to fulfill the contract, which began in 2021. Google has stated that its work with the Israeli government is primarily focused on civilian applications such as healthcare, transportation, and education, and does not involve highly sensitive or classified military workloads.