Software engineer Ahmed Shahrour discovered the hard way that confronting a Big Tech CEO with “threats” in the name of the “Palestine cause” can come at a heavy personal cost. Amazon has terminated a software engineer, Ahmed Shahrour, who worked for its Whole Foods division in Seattle, following a five-week suspension. The firing reportedly came after Shahrour posted messages on internal Slack channels criticising Amazon’s involvement in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract with the Israeli government.
According to internal communication obtained by CNBC, an Amazon HR representative informed Shahrour of his dismissal through a formal notice: “In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email with detailed information about your termination, including information about your benefits and final pay. We appreciate the contributions you’ve made during your time with Amazon and wish you the best in your future endeavours.”
Amazon’s Internal Investigation and Policy Breach Allegations
Amazon’s investigation concluded that Shahrour had violated multiple company policies, including its standards of conduct, written communication policy, and acceptable use policy. The company accused him of misusing internal communication platforms by sharing “numerous non-work-related messages” related to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Brad Glasser, an Amazon spokesperson, told CNBC that the company has a zero-tolerance approach to “discrimination, harassment or threatening behaviour or language of any kind.” He added that when such incidents are reported, Amazon “investigates and takes appropriate action based on our findings.”
In a statement to CNBC, Shahrour described his termination as “a blatant act of retaliation designed to silence dissent from Palestinian voices within Amazon.” He claimed the decision was intended to suppress criticism of Amazon’s participation in Project Nimbus, which provides cloud services, data centres, and AI tools to the Israeli government.
Amazon’s decision comes amid a wider trend across major technology companies where employees involved in internal protests over the Israel-Palestine conflict have faced disciplinary action or termination. In April 2024, Google dismissed 28 employees for participating in sit-in protests against Project Nimbus. Similarly, Microsoft terminated two employees in August who had staged demonstrations inside company premises.
Just last week, a senior Microsoft engineer resigned after 13 years, alleging that the company continues to supply cloud computing infrastructure to the Israeli military despite internal opposition.
These incidents reflect growing tension between tech employees and their employers over the ethical use of artificial intelligence, surveillance tools, and cloud platforms in geopolitical conflicts. Companies, meanwhile, are tightening internal controls and communication policies to prevent workplace activism from disrupting business operations.
Project Nimbus: What’s the problem?
Project Nimbus, the joint $1.2 billion contract involving Amazon and Google, provides advanced cloud and AI services to the Israeli government and military. Critics argue that the project enables digital surveillance and data analysis tools that could be used against Palestinians. Both companies, however, have consistently maintained that the contract is limited to civilian applications and complies with their internal ethical guidelines.
Despite these assurances, the project has sparked repeated employee walkouts and public petitions. Dissenters argue that Big Tech’s involvement in such contracts contradicts corporate commitments to human rights and responsible AI practices.
