How Microsoft became a hub for Israeli intelligence, control: GrayZone
4 Min Read
An investigation reveals Microsoft’s extensive ties with Israeli intelligence, raising questions over its role in Gaza and collaboration with Tel Aviv.
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The Microsoft logo is displayed outside its French headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris, May 13, 2024 (AP)
Microsoft has come under increasing scrutiny following revelations of its extensive technological support to "Israel" during its aggression on Gaza. Last week, the tech giant confirmed it had provided large-scale artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to "Israel" throughout the genocide.
However, Microsoft stated that an internal review found no evidence indicating that the Israeli military used these services to target or harm Palestinians. This assertion has been widely criticized as disingenuous, given the scale and severity of the war and the documented use of advanced technologies in targeting Palestinian civilians and infrastructure.
Obstructing justice at ICC
Adding to concerns over its role in international affairs, it was revealed that Microsoft had disabled the email account of Karim Khan, the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court. This action reportedly hindered the court’s ongoing investigations and enforcement of arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior Israeli officials.
Such a move raises serious questions about Microsoft's commitment to neutrality and its possible complicity in obstructing international justice.
Recruitment of former Israeli military and intelligence officers
The extent of Microsoft’s internal links to Israeli military and intelligence services is striking. The company employs over a thousand former soldiers and officers from "Israel" in its offices within the occupied territories, with many others stationed across its global branches, including in Redmond, Seattle, Boston, Miami, San Francisco, and New York.
An investigation based on leaked personnel records reveals that more than 300 former Israeli intelligence agents currently work at Microsoft. This direct integration of former operatives into a major tech firm demonstrates the depth of Microsoft’s alignment with Israeli security structures.
Notable examples include:
Jonathan Bar-Or, a principal security researcher at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters, served six and a half years in the Israeli occupation forces before departing in 2015.
Eitan Steinberg, a senior cloud platform manager based in Bellevue, is a longtime IOF veteran and former employee of the Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.
Roy Rubinstein, head of Microsoft’s Fabric data analytics platform, previously spent over nine years in the IOF, focusing on autonomous vehicle tech and special unit development.
Joseph Berenbilt, a Pennsylvania-based engineer working on the Azure platform, served in a special Israeli combat unit and is now involved in services linked to the military assault on Gaza.
Decades of corporate collaboration
The collaboration between Microsoft and "Israel" is neither recent nor incidental. Over the past two decades, Microsoft has deepened its ties to Israeli intelligence and the tech sector by acquiring 17 companies founded by former IOF cyber and surveillance officers. These acquisitions, which cost billions of dollars, have enriched individuals closely tied to the digital infrastructure of apartheid.
The economic implications are equally stark. Revenues from these deals have provided significant tax income to "Israel", reinforcing the financial pipeline from occupied military-industrial systems to multinational tech corporations.
In 2022, Microsoft’s latest acquisition was Oribi, a web analytics startup founded by Iris Shoor, who served in Israeli intelligence from 1999 to 2001.
Digital apartheid and tech-powered oppression
Microsoft’s operational structure and acquisitions point to a disturbing synergy between big tech and militarized occupation. As IBM’s technology once aided the Nazi regime in tracking and exterminating Jews, Roma, and disabled individuals, Microsoft now plays a similarly enabling role in the technological oppression of Palestinians.
The depth of Microsoft’s ties with the Israeli military and intelligence infrastructure calls into question the company’s claims of neutrality and ethical practice. Its active role, from staffing to services, directly undermines the rights of Palestinians and contributes to the ongoing digital and physical occupation.
Microsoft prohibits 'Palestine' in internal messages
A few days ago, Microsoft reportedly introduced a policy that automatically blocks employee emails containing terms like "Palestine," "Gaza," or "genocide" on its internal exchange servers, as revealed by No Azure for Apartheid, a pro-Palestine employee advocacy group at the company.
The automated filter, which stops these emails without notification, was first noticed on Wednesday shortly after Microsoft’s Build developer conference experienced repeated disruptions caused by the activist group.
The group noted that terms like “Israel” and “P4lestine” are not blocked by the filter, while Microsoft has not yet responded to DropSite’s request for comment.
Read more: Leaked files reveal Microsoft's role in 'Israel's' military operations
