REDMOND, Wash. (Diya TV) — Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration on April 4 turned turbulent when two employees interrupted the event to protest the company’s business dealings with Israel’s military. The most dramatic moment came when Vaniya Agrawal, a software engineer in Microsoft’s AI division, confronted the tech giant’s top leadership—past and present—onstage.
Agrawal interrupted a panel discussion featuring CEO Satya Nadella, co-founder Bill Gates, and former CEO Steve Ballmer, shouting, “Shame on you all. You’re all hypocrites.” She accused Microsoft of enabling the killing of Palestinians in Gaza through its technology.
“Fifty thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been murdered with Microsoft technology. How dare you. Shame on all of you for celebrating in their blood. Cut ties with Israel,” Agrawal shouted as she was escorted out of the venue by security. According to The Verge, the panelists remained silent during the protest and resumed their discussion once she was removed.
A second disruption occurred earlier during the event when employee Ibtihal Aboussad interrupted Microsoft’s AI chief Mustafa Suleyman. Both employees were later terminated—Agrawal before completing her two-week resignation period and Aboussad for what the company cited as “acts of misconduct.”
In a company-wide email sent shortly after the event, Agrawal explained her decision to resign. She stated that she could no longer “in good conscience” work at Microsoft, which she described as “a digital weapons manufacturer that powers surveillance, apartheid, and genocide.”
Agrawal’s message cited a report by the Associated Press, which detailed a $133 million contract between Microsoft and Israel’s Ministry of Defense. The report described Microsoft Azure and AI services as critical infrastructure supporting Israeli military operations and state surveillance in Gaza.
“Recent reports by the AP have exposed Microsoft’s critical role in enabling Israel’s apartheid regime and the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza,” she wrote. “The article details a $133 million contract between Microsoft and Israel’s Ministry of Defense, highlighting how Microsoft Azure and AI fuel the occupation’s mass state surveillance and contribute to indiscriminate targeting and bombing of an entire indigenous Palestinian people.”
Her resignation letter, which was also addressed directly to Nadella and shared publicly, urged employees to sign the “No Azure for Apartheid” petition—a grassroots initiative opposing tech company contracts with the Israeli government. Footage of Agrawal’s protest quickly spread across social media, sparking both praise and criticism. While some lauded her as a whistleblower taking a moral stand, others questioned the timing and platform of her protest.
Microsoft has not issued a public statement addressing the protests or the employees’ terminations. The company has previously stated that its contracts align with its ethical guidelines and that it maintains compliance with international law.
The incident underscores growing tension within the tech industry over the role of artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure in military applications. It also highlights a rising wave of employee activism, especially around global human rights issues.
Agrawal’s last day with the company is officially April 11, according to her resignation email. Her protest marks one of the most high-profile acts of employee dissent within Microsoft in recent years and reflects a broader reckoning within Big Tech over the ethical use of its tools in conflict zones.
