Students pledged not to join Google, Amazon; What is Project Nimbus?

Over the span of the last seven days, a total of over 1,200 individuals who are currently studying or working in STEM fields and have self-identified as such, have affixed their names to a commitment to abstain from pursuing employment or internship opportunities at either Google or Amazon. This decision stems from their objection to the aforementioned companies’ direct involvement in Project Nimbus, a substantial $1.2 billion initiative directed at furnishing cloud computing infrastructure to the government of Israel.

It is important to note that this is not the inaugural instance where these technology behemoths have faced calls to sever ties with Project Nimbus. The backdrop to this push includes the recent events in which Israel has been engaged in the destruction of Gaza, alongside the persisting discrimination experienced by Palestinians in the West Bank. In consideration of these circumstances, the movement calling for the termination of these associations has gained substantial traction.

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What is Project Nimbus?

The Israeli government’s Project Nimbus is a long-term initiative aimed at delivering a thorough and extensive solution for the deployment of public cloud services across government ministries, auxiliary units, and associated organizations. The initiative emphasizes the significant advantage of hosting a public cloud service within Israel’s borders. It strives to establish a configuration that protects the sovereignty of information and prevents sensitive data from being exposed outside the country’s borders.

In April 2021, Google and Amazon successfully secured the contract for Israel’s Project Nimbus. As per the agreement, Google has committed to providing advanced cloud services to various government entities throughout the state. These services are intended to benefit a range of organizations, including ministries, authorities, and government-owned companies. This collaborative effort aims to enhance the technological infrastructure and capabilities of Israel’s public sector.

What are the Concerns

Concerns have been raised by critics about Project Nimbus, claiming that it facilitates Israeli surveillance of Palestinians and contributes to the occupation of their land. In October 2021, a group of “anonymous” employees from Google and Amazon penned an opinion piece in The Guardian, urging their respective companies to disassociate from Project Nimbus and cease all connections with the Israeli military. These actions were demanded due to the alleged role of Project Nimbus in enabling Israeli surveillance on Palestinians and supporting the occupation of their land.

The language used in the recent commitment, organized by No Tech for Apartheid, an online activism platform operated in collaboration between American Muslim grassroots organization M Power Change and anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace, is closely resemblant to the recent pledge by tech giants Amazon and Google regarding their involvement in Project Nimbus and its implications on Palestinian communities. The commitment criticizes Amazon and Google for expanding public cloud computing capacity and providing advanced technology to the Israeli occupation’s government and military, which is seen as contributing to the efficiency and violence of Israeli apartheid and making life even more perilous for Palestinians.

Google And Amazon Replied

In a statement provided to the press, Google explicitly stated that the Nimbus contract pertains to the provision of services for workloads operating on the company’s commercial platform. These services are intended for use by various Israeli government ministries, including those associated with finance, healthcare, transportation, and education. Google emphasized that their involvement does not extend to highly sensitive or classified military workloads related to weapons or intelligence services.

Similarly, Amazon addressed the situation through a spokesperson in an interview with Time Magazine. The company’s representative emphasized that Amazon’s primary focus is to ensure that the benefits of their advanced cloud technology are accessible to all customers, regardless of their geographic location. Additionally, the spokesperson mentioned that Amazon is actively supporting employees impacted by the conflict and collaborating with humanitarian organizations in their relief efforts.