Amazon has come under fire after suspending a Palestinian software engineer who voiced opposition to the company’s controversial cloud contract with the Israeli government. The employee, Ahmed Shahrour, was working with Amazon’s Whole Foods division in Seattle when he was placed on paid leave following a series of internal messages condemning the company’s involvement in Project Nimbus.
The tech giant notified Shahrour that his posts shared across multiple internal Slack channels were potentially in breach of company policy. “It has come to Amazon’s attention that a post you made in multiple internal company Slack channels may violate multiple policies,” the company stated in a message cited by CNBC. His system access was immediately revoked and his internal communications were deleted.
Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract signed in 2021 by Amazon and Google, supplies cloud infrastructure, AI services, and data solutions to the Israeli government. Critics argue the technology may aid surveillance and military operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Amazon Engineer Urges End to Project Nimbus
Shahrour made his views public in a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, urging the company to withdraw from the project. He also addressed fellow Amazon employees involved in the initiative, stating, “Do yourselves a favour and drop it.” “We, the workers, outnumber you,” he added, warning that employee opposition could eventually pressure executives into cutting ties with the contract.
In an emotional blog post on Medium, Shahrour expressed deep conflict over his role at the company,“Every day I write code at Whole Foods, I remember my brothers and sisters in Gaza being starved by Israel’s man-made blockade. I live in a state of constant dissonance: maintaining the tools that make this company profit, while my people are burned and starved with the help of that very profit. I am left with no choice but to resist directly.”
Following his suspension, Shahrour spoke to CNBC, saying he felt silenced,“It feels like I can’t voice anything, and if I do, I’m going to get a warning.”
Engineer Claims Amazon Targets Palestine Supporters
Beyond his own experience, Shahrour alleged a broader pattern of suppression at Amazon against pro-Palestinian sentiment. He cited other instances, including a French employee allegedly fired over social media comments critical of Israel, and another staffer reprimanded for sharing humanitarian content about Gaza.
Amazon has not commented directly on Shahrour’s claims or the specifics of the suspension. However, in a broader statement, company spokesperson Brad Glasser said, “We don’t tolerate discrimination, harassment, or threatening behaviour or language of any kind in our workplace, and when any conduct of that nature is reported, we investigate it and take appropriate action based on our findings.”
The growing unrest over Project Nimbus mirrors similar tensions across the tech industry. In April 2024, Google terminated 28 employees following coordinated protests against the contract. In August 2025, Microsoft also fired four staff members, including two who led a sit-in targeting the company’s Israel-linked operations.
Google, Amazon Defend Roles in Project Nimbus
Google has defended its role in Project Nimbus by stating the services are general cloud tools not used for classified or military-specific tasks. Amazon, meanwhile, maintains that it provides services to clients regardless of geography, but has remained tight-lipped about the details of the agreement.
As criticism mounts from rights groups, activists, and employees, Project Nimbus continues to represent a major flashpoint for worker dissent in Silicon Valley. Shahrour’s case adds to the growing movement of tech employees challenging how their companies engage with global conflicts.
Whether Amazon will reconsider its position or further escalate disciplinary actions remains to be seen, but the suspension has reignited debate about free speech, ethical responsibility, and corporate complicity in wartime technologies.
