A Palestinian-led human rights movement, BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), has targeted Microsoft and its Xbox gaming brand over alleged complicity with the Israeli government. The organization claims that Microsoft provides AI services to the Israeli military, which is central to accelerating the country’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
The BDS National Committee has called for boycotts of several Xbox products, including Game Pass, Candy Crush, Minecraft, and Call of Duty, citing Microsoft’s 34-year history of complicity with Israel’s military. The movement is urging the public to pressure Microsoft through divestment and exclusion from contracts whenever feasible.
Microsoft employees who protested against the company’s policies in April were subsequently fired. One employee, Ibtihal Aboussad, was quoted as saying that Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military, claiming responsibility for the deaths of 50,000 people in the region.
The BDS movement was inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement and has launched successful campaigns against several international companies. The organization is now calling on gamers to boycott Xbox products, citing the existence of viable gaming alternatives as a way to pressure Microsoft into ending its alleged complicity with Israel’s genocide, occupation, and apartheid policies.
Source: https://www.polygon.com/news/554879/bds-palestine-israel-xbox-microsoft-boycott-candy-crush-minecraft-call-of-duty