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In Israel, the war has triggered a noticeable academic brain drain, with foreign students and collaborators pulling back from Israeli institutions (Haaretz). In tech, the impact has been even more pronounced: thousands of workers have relocated abroad, especially to the U.S., and investment in Israeli startups has dropped sharply. Some VCs now require Israeli companies to incorporate outside Israel to mitigate perceived risks (Calcalist).
At the same time, there's growing tension within global tech companies. Internal protests—especially at firms like Google and Microsoft—have raised questions about how Israeli professionals are perceived, and whether political affiliations or national origin are starting to affect hiring, collaboration, or workplace culture. Google recently fired 28 employees after a sit-in protest over its cloud contract with Israel (The Verge), and Microsoft faced a lockdown after activists occupied its president’s office (NYT).
It’s also important to acknowledge that Palestinian professionals and supporters of Palestine may be facing their own challenges. In some cases, expressing solidarity or criticism has led to workplace tensions, reputational risks, or even job insecurity. For many of us who are just observing what is happening online there is also an impact. This can shape how we feel about the historical conflict. These dynamics are complex and vary widely by geography and company culture, but they’re part of the broader picture.
For those of you working in tech, academia, or investing:
- Have you seen changes in how Israeli or Palestinian colleagues are treated?
- Are relocation trends affecting your teams or hiring decisions?
- Is internal culture shifting in response to the war or related protests?
- Have your opinions changed over the course of the 'war'?
Would love to hear perspectives from founders, engineers, researchers, and investors—especially those with ties to Israel, Palestine, or working in globally distributed teams.
== sources ==
Academic brain drain from Israel Haaretz: “Foreign Students Are Fleeing Israeli Universities” https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-06-20/ty-article/.premium/foreign-students-are-fleeing-israeli-universities/0000019f-2e6e-dc3c-a7df-3f6e2f7b0000
Investment decline and relocation in Israeli tech Calcalist: “ההייטק הישראלי איבד 8800 עובדים מאז תחילת המלחמה” https://www.calcalist.co.il/local-news/article/hyq0j00x0c
Google employee firings over protest of Israel cloud contract The Verge: “Google fires employees who protested its cloud contract with Israel” https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/18/google-fires-employees-protest-israel-project-nimbus
Microsoft office protest over Israel ties New York Times: “Microsoft Protest Over Israel Ties Ends With Lockdown” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/25/technology/microsoft-protest-israel.html