In a bold act of protest, Microsoft software engineer Ibtihal Aboussad disrupted the tech giant’s 50th anniversary celebration to call out the company’s alleged complicity in Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Her impassioned statement during the keynote, directed at Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, accused the company of “having blood on its hands” due to its multi-million-dollar contract with Israel’s Ministry of Defense.

This wasn’t a one-off action. Ibtihal is part of an internal coalition called “No Azure for Apartheid”, a group of Microsoft employees standing against the company’s provision of AI and cloud technology to the Israeli military. According to these employees, Microsoft’s tools are enabling surveillance and targeting that has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza.

Another protester, Vaniya Agrawal, also interrupted the event with a powerful statement:

“Microsoft’s cloud and AI are the bombs and bullets of the 21st century.”

Both Ibtihal and Vaniya were reportedly fired shortly after the incident.

Adding to the controversy, Ibtihal Aboussad’s LinkedIn profile has also been taken down, raising eyebrows. Was it a personal choice? Corporate pressure? Or a bigger pattern of silencing dissent? At this point, Microsoft has yet to comment on her firing or the status of her LinkedIn account.

This follows earlier firings of employees Abdo Mohamed and Hossam Nasr in October 2024, after they held a peaceful vigil for Palestinian victims at Microsoft’s Redmond HQ.

As the war in Gaza continues, the protest within Big Tech is revealing cracks in the façade of corporate neutrality. Employees are no longer staying silent—and the consequences are growing more severe.

One thing’s clear: the battle for ethical tech isn’t just in the code—it’s in the courage of those willing to speak up.