Over 1,000 STEM Students Vow Not to Work at Google, Amazon Over Project Nimbus Contract With Israel's Government

Over 1,100 STEM students and young professionals have pledged to boycott employment opportunities at Google and Amazon.

According to Wired, this action stemmed from the companies' involvement in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract to supply the Israeli government with cloud computing services and infrastructure.

No Tech for Apartheid Pledge

The pledge is part of a campaign led by No Tech for Apartheid (NOTA), a coalition advocating for tech giants to end contracts perceived as supporting human rights violations.

NOTA aims to gather 1,200 signatures from students and young workers, urging them to refuse job offers from Google and Amazon until these companies withdraw from Project Nimbus.

The coalition has already seen support from students across over 120 universities, including prominent institutions like Stanford, UC Berkeley, the University of San Francisco, and San Francisco State University.

These students and young professionals argue that Google and Amazon are complicit in the alleged systemic oppression and violence against Palestinians. They believe that by providing advanced cloud technology, the companies are enabling Israeli surveillance and military actions that have devastating impacts on Palestinian communities.

Career data from College Transitions highlights Google and Amazon's influence as major employers for graduates from top STEM schools. As of 2024, Google employs 485 graduates from UC Berkeley and 216 from Stanford.

The movement gained further momentum during an anti-Project Nimbus rally outside Google's San Francisco office. The rally, which included students, tech workers, and activists, underscored the community's demand for Google and Amazon to cease their involvement in the contract.

Students Refuse to Join Amazon and Google

NOTA's campaign is supported by various grassroots organizations, including MPower Change and Jewish Voice for Peace. These groups have been vocal in their opposition to Project Nimbus since 2021, calling for Google and Amazon to boycott and divest from contracts with the Israeli government.

The pledge outlined the grievances of the participants, detailing the historical and ongoing impact of Israeli actions on Palestinians. It cited the widespread destruction and casualties resulting from Israeli military operations, including bombings of residential areas, hospitals, and schools in Gaza.

The signatories believed that Google and Amazon contributed to these activities by providing cloud technology to the Israeli government.

The students' pledge emphasized their refusal to partake in what they view as supporting war crimes and human rights abuses. They joined the #NoTechForApartheid campaign to pressure Amazon and Google to terminate Project Nimbus.

"As young people and students in STEM and beyond, we refuse to have any part in these horrific abuses. We're joining the #NoTechForApartheid campaign to demand Amazon and Google immediately end Project Nimbus," the pledge reads.

"And until Amazon and Google executives choose to be on the right side of history and cut the contract, we pledge not to take jobs or internships at either company," it added.