Microsoft urged to end business ties with the Israeli military

Author: Peter Clarkin, MA

October 16, 2025

HRRC condemns Microsoft’s ongoing business dealings with Israel. Human rights groups have accused the company of allowing the Israeli military to use its technology in human rights abuses. While some progress has been made, we urge Microsoft to take further action and to halt the use of their products by Israel in the West Bank and Gaza.

A signal intelligence–gathering installation of Unit 8200, an Israeli intelligence corps unit responsible for collecting signals intelligence (Sigint) and code decryption, located on an observation point on the Israeli-Lebanese border near Rosh HaNikra crossing also known as Ras al-Naqoura crossing. [Image credit: Eddie Gerald/Alamy]

A document sent by six human rights groups to Microsoft has been made public this week. Originally sent in September, the letter accuses Microsoft of allowing the Israeli government to use its technology to commit human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The statement demands that Microsoft immediately cease any involvement with Israel, who have used their technology to save surveillance footage, illegally intercept communications, and to power AI-driven targeting systems.

Israel has extensively utilised Microsoft’s Azure programme to power their mass surveillance system, with evidence suggesting that they have stored millions of calls recorded from within Gaza and the West Bank. The collected data has been used to track Palestinians’ phone calls and  subjugate residents of the West Bank to blackmail and threat of detention, as well as to justify unlawful killings.  

In September of this year Microsoft reacted to an article published in The Guardian, which detailed their role in Israel’s illegal surveillance, by notifying Israel that they had violated the company’s terms of service. In communication with Microsoft employees, Brad Smith, Vice Chair & President, stated that “I want to let you know that Microsoft has ceased and disabled a set of services to a unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD).” While this move was met with positive reactions from human rights groups, it is unclear how far these measures have gone, and if they were only in relation to Azure, and not Microsoft’s other programmes.

Pressure on Microsoft has persisted over several months, and they have also received criticism from several of their own employees. In May 2025 a number of individuals contracted to the company protested under the banner “No Azure for Apartheid” and demanded that Microsoft terminate its involvement with Israel. Scott Sutfin-Glowski, a principal software engineer with the company, announced his resignation this week, stating that he could no longer “accept enabling what may be the worst atrocities of our time”.

Microsoft are presently carrying out internal investigations in relation to their work with Israel and have said that they will respond to the letter by the end of October. During this period human rights groups have strongly recommended that the company disables any subscriptions or programmes that could be contributing to human rights abuses in Gaza and the West Bank. Human rights advocates are hopeful that continued pressure from inside and outside the company will compel Microsoft to take the necessary measures to ensure that their products are not used to perpetuate crimes against Palestinians. 

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Glossary

• Atrocities – Extremely cruel or violent acts, often committed during war or conflict.

• Blackmail – The act of threatening to reveal damaging information about someone unless demands are met.

• Cease – To stop.

• Compel – To force or strongly persuade someone to do something.

• Detention – The act of keeping someone in custody or confinement.

• Disables – Makes something unable to function or operate.

• Extensively – In a thorough or widespread manner.

• Justify – To show or prove that something is right, reasonable, or necessary.

• Occupied Palestinian Territories – Areas of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem under Israeli occupation since 1967.

• Persisted – Continued firmly, despite difficulty or opposition.

• Principal – Most .

• Subjugate – To bring under control or domination.

• Surveillance footage – Video recordings captured by security cameras or monitoring systems.

• Targeting systems – Technology or processes used to select and attack specific targets.

• Terminate – To bring to an end.

• Track – To follow the movement or progress of something.

• Violated – Broken or disregarded, typically referring to laws, rights, or agreements.

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Sources

1. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/10/10/israel/palestine-microsoft-should-avoid-contributing-to-rights-abuses

2. https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/microsoft-must-come-clean-on-its-role-in-israels-war-on-gaza/

3. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/06/microsoft-israeli-military-palestinian-phone-calls-cloud

4. https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/

5. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/25/microsoft-blocks-israels-use-of-its-technology-in-mass-surveillance-of-palestinians

6. https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2025/09/25/update-on-ongoing-microsoft-review/

7. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/09/microsoft-engineer-resigns-over-cloud-business-from-israeli-military.html

8. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/26/microsoft-removed-protesters-who-stormed-office-israel-military-work.html