During Microsoft’s prestigious Build developer conference in Seattle, attended by thousands of professionals and tech innovators, now former engineer, Joe Lopez, disrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote speech in protest of the company’s relationship with Israel. Lopez, part of the fringe radical group "No Azure for Apartheid," accused Microsoft of complicity in alleged human rights abuses—claims that have been investigated and dismissed by the company.
"Satya," he shouted, "How about you show how Microsoft is killing Palestinians? How about you show the Israeli war crimes are powered by Azure?" Azure is the company's cloud computing platform, which also includes artificial intelligence.
Following the disruption and a subsequent company-wide email laced with inflammatory rhetoric, Lopez was terminated. In his message, Lopez threatened continued unrest unless Microsoft severed ties with the Israeli government, falsely claiming that Microsoft’s services directly contribute to violence in Gaza. Yet Microsoft, after comprehensive internal and external reviews, reiterated that there is no evidence that its Azure cloud platform or AI services have been used to harm civilians. The company’s relationship with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, it clarified, remains a standard commercial engagement, consistent with contracts held globally.
Microsoft also confirmed that following the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, it provided limited, emergency humanitarian and technological support to the Israeli government, including services aimed at saving hostages. The assistance was carefully scrutinized, and in many cases, Microsoft denied requests to ensure adherence to its principles and ethical codes.
This is not the first time the company has faced internal backlash from radical activist employees. Last year, Microsoft dismissed two individuals, Hossam Nasr and Abdelrahman Mohamed, who organized an anti-Israel event at the company's Redmond headquarters. The event included speakers who glorified terrorist martyrs and repeated extremist slogans. Nasr, a known radical agitator, has a long track record of antisemitic behavior and violent rhetoric, including praise for anti-American sentiment and disruption of university board meetings where Jewish students were forced to flee.
On Thursday, Nasr and a fellow activist were tossed from the conference after protesting one of the speeches. While being led away by private security, Nasr played the victim and disparaged the guards with anti police rhetoric.
Despite being employed by a company with one of its largest R&D centers in Israel, Nasr publicly branded Microsoft as an "evil Zionist corporation." His social media is replete with violent imagery and explicit support for Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization responsible for the murder of civilians, including children.
Pro-Israel observers and Jewish advocacy groups have applauded Microsoft’s firm stance, noting that disruption, intimidation, and hate speech have no place in the workplace. The company emphasized its commitment to a respectful, inclusive workplace where employees are free to express views, but not to harass, threaten, or spread misinformation.
