Amazon has started to dismiss employees who publicly criticised the company’s business links with the Israeli government, as major technology firms and global retailers face growing internal dissent over their roles in supplying cloud services to Israel’s defence sector.

The employee, Ahmed Shahrour, a 29-year-old Palestinian engineer, was dismissed this week for what Amazon described as breaches of company policy, including conduct that allegedly sought to “threaten, intimidate, coerce or interfere with” senior leaders and colleagues, according to internal correspondence cited by Bloomberg.

Shahrour was first suspended after posting comments on corporate Slack channels condemning Amazon’s connections to Israel.

He later distributed fliers and encouraged co-workers to join a pro-Palestinian employee group.

ChannelNews has been told that several Amazon and Microsoft employees in Australia have taken part in protest rallies against Israel in Australia.

“We don’t tolerate discrimination, harassment, or threatening behaviour or language of any kind in our workplace,” Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser said in an emailed statement. “When any conduct of that nature is reported, we investigate and take appropriate action.”

Amazon, along with Microsoft and Google’s parent company Alphabet, is a key contractor under Project Nimbus, a multibillion-dollar cloud-computing agreement providing services to Israeli government departments and military entities. The arrangement has sparked protests both inside and outside the companies, particularly amid criticism of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.

Ironically, many of the activists criticising these corporate relationships also use the same cloud-based services to coordinate campaigns, distribute information, and organise demonstrations and protest rallies in Australia.

In a message to colleagues last month, Shahrour wrote that “Amazon is not a neutral observer. We are active participants,” referring to the company’s role in supporting Israeli operations through its technology infrastructure.

Shahrour was also among seven current and former tech employees arrested in August after occupying Microsoft President Brad Smith’s office during a protest against that company’s sales to Israel. They were later released. Following the incident and subsequent media coverage, Microsoft reportedly restricted the use of some of its software by an Israeli military unit.

Amazon’s decision underscores the growing divide within the tech sector as employees demand greater transparency and accountability over government and military contracts, particularly in conflict zones.