‘Microsoft is reportedly under fire from employees following claims that its internal email system blocks messages containing terms such as “Gaza,” “Palestine,” and “Genocide.” The restrictions, reported by The Verge, have sparked accusations of censorship and discrimination, particularly amid mounting criticism of the company’s ties to Israel.
The claims come from No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA), a protest group of current and former Microsoft workers. The group says “dozens of employees” have been unable to send emails internally or externally if these words appear in subject lines or message bodies.
In contrast, words such as “Israel” or alternate spellings like “P4lestine” are reportedly not filtered. “This is an attempt to silence worker free speech,” said NOAA organizer Hossam Nasr, who accused Microsoft’s leadership of discriminating against Palestinian employees and their supporters.
Microsoft confirmed that it had made email-related changes aimed at reducing internal political messaging. A company spokesperson said the measures were taken to limit mass political emails, noting that “emailing large numbers of employees about non-work topics is not appropriate” and that such communication should go through opt-in forums.
The controversy comes amid ongoing protests over Microsoft’s cloud and AI contracts with Israel, which media reports say support military operations in Gaza. While the US company has acknowledged working with the Israeli government, it claimed in a May 16 statement that “no evidence” has emerged showing its tools have been used to cause harm—though it also admitted it lacks visibility into how its software is deployed on private systems.
The internal dissent has played out publicly in recent weeks. At the Microsoft Build developer conference, employee Joe Lopez interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote speech, accusing the company of enabling war crimes. Lopez was later fired after sending a mass email to thousands of staff members calling for action.’
‘The chance of an Israeli military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities “has gone up significantly” in recent months, CNN reported citing multiple US officials familiar with new intelligence assessments.
While Israeli leadership has not made a final decision, recently intercepted communications suggest that planning is actively underway, unnamed sources have told the network.
US intelligence has also noted Israeli military activities, including the movement of air munitions and the completion of air exercises, which could indicate preparations for an “imminent strike.”
Several officials acknowledged that these actions might serve as a strategic signal to Iran, aiming to pressure Tehran into concessions during ongoing negotiations with Washington. However, one source cited by CNN warned that “the prospect of a Trump-negotiated US-Iran deal that doesn’t remove all of Iran’s uranium makes the chance of a strike more likely.”
US President Donald Trump tore up the 2015 UN-backed agreement on Iran’s nuclear program during his first term in office. He accused Tehran of secretly violating the deal and reimposed sanctions.
Iran responded by rolling back its own compliance with the accord and accelerated its enrichment of uranium. Since returning to the White House, Trump has been pressuring Tehran into a new agreement and has even threatened to bomb the country if a deal isn’t reached.
Iran and Israel exchanged strikes in April and October of last year, marking the most dramatic escalation between the regional rivals.
Earlier this year, Israel reportedly proposed “an extensive bombing campaign” to knock out Iranian nuclear facilities, according to the New York Times, but Trump refused to back it, opting instead to pursue diplomacy. Since then, according to Reuters, West Jerusalem has been considering a more “limited strike” that would require minimal US support.
Despite the belligerent rhetoric, the US and Iran have held several rounds of talks in Oman in recent months, which have been described by both sides as constructive and productive. However, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, stated that while Washington wants to resolve the standoff with Tehran diplomatically, it has “one very, very clear red line… We cannot allow even 1% of an enrichment capability.”
Iran currently enriches uranium to 60% purity, far above the 3.67% cap set under the now-defunct nuclear deal and close to the 90% needed for weapons-grade material. While US and Israeli officials have for years warned that Tehran is just weeks away from a nuclear breakthrough, the Islamic Republic insists that its nuclear program is peaceful and not aimed at producing a bomb.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the US demand to fully dismantle its nuclear facilities as “unrealistic,” saying Tehran would continue enriching uranium with or without a deal. He also suggested that some statements by US officials are “completely detached from the reality of negotiations.” ‘
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