The head of Microsoft's Israeli subsidiary, Alon Haimovich, is to leave the company following an internal inquiry into its business dealings with the Israeli military. The inquiry was launched after a Guardian investigation revealed that the military used Microsoft's Azure cloud platform to support mass surveillance of Palestinian phone calls.
The joint investigation with +972 Magazine and Local Call found that Unit 8200, an elite Israeli spy agency, used Azure to store a vast trove of intercepted calls from Gaza and the West Bank. Microsoft's inquiry concluded recently, and while its findings are unclear, sources say they prompted Haimovich's departure, announced last week.
The Israeli business newspaper Globes reported that Haimovich's exit followed a major controversy relating to violations of Microsoft's code of ethics. Several other managers have also left their positions. Within weeks of launching the inquiry, Microsoft found that Unit 8200 had violated its terms of service by using the technology for mass surveillance, leading to the termination of the unit's access to cloud services and AI products.
Documents suggest Haimovich played a role in developing the relationship between Microsoft Israel and Unit 8200 after a 2021 meeting between Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, and the unit's then commander. This included overseeing a partnership to build a segregated area within Azure for storing sensitive intelligence material. Microsoft has previously stated that senior executives like Nadella were unaware of the surveillance use.
