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.
Ibtehal Aboussad's protest, April 5, 2025 - Anadolu Agency
Ibtehal Aboussad’s Protest
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
Vaniya Agrawal’s Protest
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.
Military Use of AI Technologies
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.
Company Statements and International Reactions
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.
