Ex-Microsoft engineer Vaniya Agrawal denounces Israel ties, accusing the tech giant of enabling violence during the Gaza war. Protest rocks 50th anniversary.

In a moment that shook Microsoft’s 50th-anniversary celebrations, Vaniya Agrawal, an Indian-American software engineer and former Microsoft employee, publicly denounced the company’s leadership—including CEO Satya Nadella and former CEOs Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer—over its ties to Israel amidst the ongoing war in Gaza.

What Vaniya Agrawal Said on Event

Microsoft Engineer Vaniya Agrawal, who has since resigned from the tech giant, took the stage during the company’s high-profile panel and directly confronted the executives. “Fifty thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been killed with Microsoft technology. How dare you. Shame on all of you for celebrating their blood,” she said before being escorted out of the event. Calling Microsoft a “digital weapons manufacturer,”

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Vaniya Agrawal accused the company of facilitating violence through its technology. She referred expressly to Microsoft’s $133 million contract with Israel’s Ministry of Defense, which allegedly involves using Microsoft’s AI and MS Azure technologies in military operations. Her bold statement was a passionate plea for Microsoft to sever its ties with the Israeli military. The Microsoft leadership, including Nadella, Gates, and Ballmer, did not respond to the protest and resumed their discussion following her removal.

Agrawal wrote in her resignation letter, “I cannot, in good conscience, be part of a company that participates in this violent injustice.” She additionally urged present Microsoft employees to take a stand, urging them to hold the company answerable: “If you must continue to work at Microsoft, I urge you to use your position, power, and privilege to hold Microsoft accountable to its values and mission.”

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Agrawal’s act of dissent comes amid increasing pressure on tech companies over their roles in global conflicts. Earlier, one more Microsoft employee, Ibtihal Aboussad, also protested during a presentation by AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, Ibtihal calling him a “war profiteer.” After that, Suleyman responded by saying, “Thank you for your protest. I hear you.”
In February, five other employees were removed from a meeting with Nadella for similar demonstrations, highlighting a growing rift between Microsoft’s workforce and its executive decisions regarding geopolitical involvement.

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The incident has sparked widespread debate on corporate responsibility, technology’s ethical use, and employee activism’s power in the tech industry. Agrawal’s public stand has amplified calls for transparency and ethical accountability in the use of advanced technologies, especially in conflict zones.