Google employee quits after speaking out against company over deal with Israel's military

Ariel Koren, a self-proclaimed Jewish Google employee, has announced she will leave her job

A sign is shown on a Google building at their campus in Mountain View, Calif. , on Sept. 24, 2019. AP Photo

An employee has accused Google of "retaliation", after she protested against a billion-dollar deal the company made with the Israeli military.

Describing herself as a "Jewish Google employee", Ariel Koren says she worked at the company for seven years but has now quit, after what she claims were "illegal actions" taken by the company that forced her to leave.

"Instead of listening to employees who want Google to live up to its ethical principles, Google is aggressively pursuing military contracts and stripping away the voices of its employees through a pattern of silencing and retaliation towards me and many others," Ms Koren wrote in a blog post.

"I have consistently witnessed that instead of supporting diverse employees looking to make Google a more ethical company, Google systematically silences Palestinian, Jewish, Arab and Muslim voices concerned about Google's complicity in violations of Palestinian human rights — to the point of formally retaliating against workers and creating an environment of fear."

Ms Koren encouraged the public to learn more about the $1.2 billion dollar Project Nimbus and take action by protesting outside Google offices in the US on September 8.

She said a group for Jewish employees at Google was "systematically functioning as an outlet to drive forward right-wing ideologies under the guise of promoting diversity", instead of merely acting as a support system for Jewish people.

Google has not yet made a public statement on Ms Koren's claims.

Riyad Mansour, Palestinian permanent observer to the UN, addresses a Security Council meeting in New York. Reuters

Palestinians search through the rubble of a building in which Khaled Mansour, a top Islamic Jihad militant, was killed in an Israeli air strike on Sunday, in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip. AP

Mohammad Arada removes a tricycle from the rubble of his home after it was destroyed by an Israeli air strike, in the Rafah refugee camp. AP

Women mourn during the funeral of four teenage Palestinian cousins in Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip. Reuters

People march during a rally in support of Gaza Strip residents at the Grand Central Terminal in New York. EPA

Palestinians celebrate on a street in Gaza city after a ceasefire was announced. Reuters

Palestinians burn tyres near the Huwwara checkpoint, south of the West Bank city of Nablus, during a protest against Israel's air strikes in Gaza. EPA

Children cry during the funeral of Tamim Hijazi in Khan Yunis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip. The Gaza resident was killed in an Israeli air strike. AP

Smoke billows from a building struck during an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Israel bombarded Islamic Jihad positions in the Gaza Strip for a third day, with 31 Palestinians killed. AFP

Palestinians inspect a destroyed house after an Israeli air strike on Rafah in the Gaza Strip. EPA

A Palestinian rocket is fired from Gaza City toward Israel as Israel bombarded Islamic Jihad positions in the Gaza Strip for a third day. AFP

The Palestinian Civil Defence evacuate a wounded man following an explosion in Jebaliya refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip. AP

A Palestinian man in the rubble of his badly damaged home, which was struck by Israeli missiles in Gaza City. AFP

A Palestinian woman and her daughter survey the damage to their home, caused by the Israeli air strikes, in the northern Gaza Strip. Reuters

Palestinians search the rubble of a building in which Khaled Mansour, a chief Islamic Jihad militant, was killed in an Israeli air strike on Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. AP

An Israeli Iron Dome air defence system launches a missile to intercept rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, on the outskirts of the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. AFP

The friend of a young Palestinian killed during the night in the Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, is overcome at his funeral in the same camp. AFP

The body of Palestinian Muhammad Hassouna, who was killed in an Israeli air strike, is prepared for his funeral at a hospital in Rafah. AP

An Israeli Air Force Apache helicopter fires flares in the sky above the Israel-Gaza border. Reuters

A Palestinian boy looks out of a car damaged amid Israel-Gaza fighting, in the northern Gaza Strip. Reuters

Israeli police keep watch while Jews visit the Al Aqsa compound in Jerusalem on Sunday. Reuters

Palestinians search a destroyed building in which leading Islamic Jihad militant Khaled Mansour was killed by an Israeli air strike in Rafah. AP

Israeli extreme-right politician Itamar Ben Gvir, centre, speaks to the media as he makes his way to the Al Aqsa complex in East Jerusalem. EPA

Israelis rest in a bomb shelter after rocket attacks fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, southern Israel. Palestinian officials say at least 32 people in Gaza have died in latest surge of violence. AP

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group fires rockets from Gaza City. Israel's military has said it 'neutralised' the group's leadership group in the enclave, where at least 32 people, including six children, have been killed in three days of Israeli strikes. EPA

Palestinian medics take an injured man to hospital. AFP

Palestinians carry an injured girl to hospital following an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP

Palestinians search for casualties in the rubble of a residential building in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP

A salvo of rockets is fired from Gaza City towards Israel. AFP

Palestinians gather at a hospital in Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. AFP

Last year, in an open letter published in The Guardian, Google and Amazon workers condemned their companies' involvement in Project Nimbus, which they described as "a $1.2bn contract to provide cloud services for the Israeli military and government".

"This technology allows for further surveillance of and unlawful data collection on Palestinians, and facilitates expansion of Israel’s illegal settlements on Palestinian land," the letter said.

But in March, a similar call was renewed on Twitter by an account reportedly representing Amazon and Google employees standing against Project Nimbus.

Ms Koren's announcement that she was leaving her job drew mixed reactions from people on Twitter, with some praising her for the move and others saying she should have been fired.

People gather for a pro-Palestinian demonstration near the Israeli consulate in New York City. EPA

"You've loudly proclaimed 'no' to participating in furthering the injustice inflicted upon the Palestinians. Bravo and thank you!" said one user.

"Thank you for standing on the right side of history," a Palestinian by the name of Sejood Rantisi said.

But others were not so sympathetic of Ms Koren's public stance against Google.

"You were actively acting against your employer and now he send you out," said Dr Chris Bacon.