Sergey Brin Calls Out UN Over Report on Tech Companies and Israel
Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, expressed strong criticism of the United Nations, labeling it “transparently anti-Semitism” following the release of a report that accuses major tech companies of profiting from what the report terms “Israel-performed genocide” in Gaza.
Brin, who is Jewish, shared his views during an internal discussion at Google DeepMind, where he reacted to the allegations made by the UN Human Rights Council. Screenshots of his comments were later reported by the Washington Post.
“I think using the term genocide in the context of Gaza is really distressing for many Jews who have faced actual genocide,” stated Brin.
He also voiced concerns about referencing organizations, like the United Nations, which he feels have a clear bias. “I would be cautious when citing anti-Semitic groups like the UN regarding these matters,” he noted.
A spokesperson for Brin confirmed his thoughts were based on discussions regarding the “clearly biased” report.
Currently, inquiries into Brin, Google, and the UN are ongoing.
The report in question was penned by Francesca Albanese, a special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian Territory. Recent criticism has been directed at Albanese, with accusations of anti-Semitism and bias against Israel surfacing, prompting calls for her removal.
A representative for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres indicated that special rapporteurs, like Albanese, operate independently of his office. The spokesperson emphasized that while they may use the UN title, their work does not reflect the Secretary-General’s views.
Albanese, an Italian jurist, has faced skepticism regarding her past statements, including comparisons of Israel’s policies to those of Nazis, leading some to label her work as anti-Semitic. Critics also allege she downplayed Hamas’s actions, framing them as responses to oppression, which some argue has warped the narrative surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The UN report claimed that American tech companies, particularly Google and its parent company Alphabet, have aided Israeli military operations in Gaza through their cloud and AI services, highlighting a specific $1.2 billion contract with Israel.
The health ministry in Gaza claims that over 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, although this figure does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuted the claims made in the UN report, arguing that Israel is defending itself against Hamas, which has openly stated its intent to destroy Israel.
Brin, who immigrated to the US from Moscow, has a net worth of approximately $149 billion. Though he stepped down as president of Alphabet in 2019, he still holds significant influence within the company as a board member and controlling shareholder.
According to an employee who was part of the internal forum, Brin’s comments left some colleagues perplexed. One engineer reportedly remarked, “The only bright spot here is that we focus all our resources on Gemini, which couldn’t be less useful for genocide.” This follows a troubling history for Google, as 28 employees were terminated last year for participating in protests against the company’s ties with the Israeli government.
In a subsequent memo, CEO Sundar Pichai advised employees against discussing divisive issues or politics in the workplace.
Despite attempts to avoid close ties with Israeli defense sectors, Google staff have aided Israeli military forces in accessing AI tools following the events of October 7. Earlier this year, reports highlighted that Google removed its prior pledges against using AI for military purposes.
These ethical guidelines, established amid prior protests, had committed to aligning AI development with principles of international law and human rights.
