Amazon has dismissed a Palestinian software engineer, Ahmed Shahrour, who was previously suspended for protesting the company’s business dealings with the Israeli government.
Shahrour, who worked with Amazon’s Whole Foods division in Seattle, received an email on Monday notifying him of his termination.
His suspension in September followed internal Slack posts criticizing Amazon’s collaboration with Israel.
According to Amazon, an internal review found that Shahrour violated company standards, including its conduct, written communication, and acceptable use policies.
The company alleged that he misused corporate communication channels by posting numerous non-work-related messages about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“In the next 24hrs you will receive an email with detailed information about your termination, including information about your benefits and final pay,” an Amazon human resources employee wrote in a message to Shahrour that was obtained by CNBC. “We appreciate the contributions you’ve made during your time with Amazon and wish you the best in your future endeavors.”
An employee group connected to Shahrour released a statement in the afternoon, saying he was terminated after a five-week suspension for opposing Amazon’s $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government and military, known as Project Nimbus. The group cited Shahrour’s view that the contract amounted to collaboration in the ongoing violence in Gaza.
Shahrour had publicly urged Amazon to cancel the deal, which provides the Israeli government with artificial intelligence tools, data centers, and other infrastructure.
He also staged protests and distributed flyers at Amazon’s downtown Seattle headquarters.
Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser said that the company does not tolerate “discrimination, harassment, or any threatening behavior or language in the workplace.”
“When any conduct of that nature is reported, we investigate it and take appropriate action based on our findings,” Glasser said.
Shahrour was fired on the same day that Palestinian militant group Hamas released the first seven surviving Israeli hostages, signaling the initial phase of a ceasefire agreement facilitated with the assistance of U.S. President Donald Trump.
