by Andrea Tucci,
On April 13, 2024, a letter signed by 228 workers of the tech giant Apple appeared on the platform openletter.earth. In the letter, the company’s employees asked Apple to stop funding three particular organizations that were allegedly involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Here is an excerpt from the letter: ” A group of shareholders and former employees have decided to speak openly and ask that Apple promptly investigate and cease matching donations to all organizations that promote illegal settlements in occupied territories and support the IDF, including those listed below. Such support directly contravenes international law and is against Apple philosophy of strong commitment to human rights.
A few days ago, alongside the Apple news, Microsoft had also encouraged internal communications aimed at promoting fundraising for organizations involved in illegal occupations in the West Bank and had simultaneously blacklisted UNRWA among those potentially eligible for any contributions.
Also Microsoft has been criticized for promoting donations to organizations that support illegal settlements. The issue emerged alongside news that the company is heavily investing in Israel, with expansion plans including the hiring of thousands of new employees and the construction of new facilities indicating that Microsoft’s investments are very likely indirectly supporting the Israeli government’s policies in the occupied territories, contributing to the broader context of colonialism in the West Bank.
The controversies surrounding the actions of Apple and Microsoft are part of a broader criticism of how large tech companies are involved in the ongoing conflict through their financial and technological support to Israeli government.These revelations are part of an increasingly intense scrutiny by the international press on how tech companies, often perceived as neutral or even progressive entities, may play a decisive role in implementing colonialist policies in a conflict like the Israeli-Palestinian one.
The “Ma’aleh Adumim Foundation” is an organization based in the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim, located in the occupied West Bank. The organization is involved in fundraising to promote economic growth and support the expansion of the Israeli settlement. Ma’aleh Adumim is considered an illegal settlement under international law, and its expansion has been at the center of numerous political and legal controversies. The foundation is dedicated to promoting social policies for Israelis in a territory that is, in fact, illegally occupied.
The “Ein Prat Academy” is an educational institution aimed at training young leaders through intensive study programs that combine Jewish education, philosophy, and civic engagement. As stated on the academy’s website, the institution is primarily attended by young Israelis, many of whom go on to take leadership roles in the military, politics, and civil society. Founded in 2001, the academy is located in the occupied West Bank.
The “Megilot Dead Sea Rescue” is a volunteers organization specializing in rescue operations in the Dead Sea area and the surrounding mountains in the occupied territories. In these territories, the search group works closely with Israeli authorities, the IDF, and government officials.
These organizations, although operating in different contexts, support and contribute to Israel’s expansionist plans through their activities.
Moreover, Microsoft has been a significant partner of the Israeli intelligence sector for years. Al-Munaseq, from the initial online findings, appears to be an app developed to facilitate communication between Israeli authorities and Palestinians. Although it serves Palestinians as a bureaucratic bridge to manage various aspects under Israel’s digital control, necessarily requires full access to any data on the mobile device of the person who downloads it, leading to total control.
This means that Microsoft’s infrastructure and services are involved in the technical support and management of this app. The application constitutes a severe violation of the security of Palestinian society as it combines personal information from civil records, such as place and date of birth, extended family information, place of residence with military documents, and tracking of movements. The app daily can access all information and data on any other application on the same phone, including location data, incoming and outgoing calls, messages, and emails.
As famous proverb says: “An APPLE a day…..”
