Microsoft Employees Split on Azure Contract with Israel: 53% Support, 36% Oppose
A recent Blind survey reveals that Microsoft employees are divided over the company’s Azure contract with Israel’s Ministry of Defense, with over one-third opposing the deal.
The survey, conducted from May 20-22, 2025, collected responses from 1,582 verified professionals on Blind. Respondents were asked to indicate their stance on the Azure contract using a five-point scale: Strongly support, Support with conditions, Neutral, Oppose with conditions, or Strongly oppose.
Among 561 Microsoft employees, 53% supported the company’s contract — 42% strongly, 11% with conditions. Meanwhile, 36% were opposed, with 18% conditionally and 18% strongly.
At Amazon, 45% supported the contract (40% strongly, 5% with conditions), while 47% opposed it (18% conditionally, 29% strongly). This represents the highest level of strong opposition among the companies surveyed.
The results show a clear divide in public sentiment, with a substantial number of respondents opposing the use of cloud technologies in military contexts, especially in the absence of human rights safeguards.
Supporters argued that Microsoft’s priority should be its business interests. One Microsoft employee on Blind wrote, “Microsoft needs to do whatever it can to get the stock price high. It’s a business, not a humanitarian org.” Another noted, “Terrorists have phones. Are we boycotting Apple/Samsung too then?”
Opponents, meanwhile, called for ethical consistency. A LinkedIn employee on Blind commented, “Israel should be treated the same way Russia was treated.” Another Microsoft worker added, “The only reason I’m against it is because we backed out of Russia for the Russia/Ukraine war. What we do for one we should do for all. Not pick and choose.”
Microsoft officially acknowledged on May 15 that it has provided its Azure cloud services to Israel but denied allegations that the service is being used to target civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Microsoft also fired Jo Lopez, a software engineer who publicly interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote speech in protest of the Azure contract.
Microsoft suspended new sales in Russia in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine — a move the company said reflected concerns over attacks on civilians and potential violations of the Geneva Convention.
Methodology
The survey, conducted May 20–22, 2025, gathered responses from 1,582 verified professionals via Blind, an anonymous workplace app that requires company email verification for access. It employed a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "Strongly support" to "Strongly oppose" and has a margin of error of ±2.5% at a 95% confidence level.