Tech
Vaniya Agrawal Confronts Microsoft CEOs Over Israel Ties at 50th Anniversary Event
Vaniya Agrawal, an Indian-American software engineer, turned Microsoft’s 50th anniversary bash in Redmond, Washington, upside down on April 4, 2025. During a panel with CEO Satya Nadella and ex-bosses Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, she let loose: “Fifty thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been murdered with Microsoft technology. How dare you. Shame on you all for celebrating on their blood.” Security hustled her out as some staff booed, but her words hit hard—hours later, she quit, lighting up a firestorm over Microsoft’s Israel ties.
The Outburst and Exit
Agrawal, 1.5 years deep in Microsoft’s AI crew, didn’t hold back. She tied the company’s Azure cloud and AI tools to a $133 million deal with Israel’s Ministry of Defense, claiming it’s fueling military ops in Gaza. “I’m a Microsoft worker and I do not consent,” she shouted, name-dropping ‘No Azure for Apartheid,’ a group slamming Microsoft’s Israel deals. By day’s end, she fired off a mass email: “I’ve decided to leave Microsoft. My last day’s April 11.” Calling it a “digital weapons manufacturer,” she wrote, “I can’t be part of this violent injustice”—capping it with “Free Palestine.” Her colleague Ibtihal Aboussad pulled a similar stunt, resigning after calling out AI chief Mustafa Suleyman as a “war profiteer” at the same event. Both lost work access fast—Microsoft’s staying mum, but it smells like a quick boot.
Vaniya Agrawal, another Microsoft employee confronted the panel on stage at the company’s 50th anniversary celebration which included founder Bill Gates. Agrawal continued the protest saying “I’m a Microsoft worker and I do not consent…. 50,000 Palestinians have been killed pic.twitter.com/t16TyFxv3a
— سيف القدس SayfAlqudss (@SayfAlqudss) April 6, 2025
Microsoft and Israel: The Heat’s On
Agrawal’s beef isn’t new. An Associated Press dive earlier this year flagged Microsoft and OpenAI tech in Israel’s Gaza and Lebanon targeting systems—think surveillance, strikes, the works. That $133 million contract? It’s the backbone of her gripe, though Microsoft hasn’t owned up or shot it down. ‘No Azure for Apartheid’ rallied outside too, riding a wave of unrest over Israel’s war moves since Hamas’s 2023 attack. X’s split—some hail her guts, others call it noise—but the Gaza toll, pegged high by local counts, keeps the debate raw.
Why It Hits Now
This isn’t just Agrawal’s fight; it’s tech’s big ethics reckoning. AI’s rewriting war, and she’s asking: Should companies cash in on bloodshed? Her Indian-American roots add a layer—diaspora voices cutting through Silicon Valley’s hum. Microsoft’s AI-for-good pitch took a hit here—she’s saying it’s profit over people. At 50 years, celebrated April 4, the company’s got a spotlight it didn’t want.
What’s Next?
Agrawal’s “How dare you” is viral—clips are everywhere. Will it nudge Microsoft off Israel’s dime? Too soon to tell. For now, her exit’s a loud jab at an industry often accused of dodging the tough stuff. The tech world’s watching—Redmond’s golden moment just got a lot messier.