Microsoft and war!

Microsoft supports Israeli army

by LP, 27 Apr 2002

 

Israelis travelling on the main highways in the Tel-Aviv area were treated to enormous billboards bearing the Microsoft logo under the text "From the depth of our heart -- thanks to The Israeli Defence Forces" on the background of the Israeli national flag.

Microsoft is a major worldwide and world-famous corporation, whose activities overstep national boundaries and which is committed to promote global community, increasing trade, and stronger economic relationships and cultural interaction; which takes pride in promoting extensive community activities of various kinds, and declares on its website "We're serious about making the world a better place"; and which maintains offices and conducts active sales campaigns in Israel as well as at Egypt, Morocco, Dubai, Indonesia, Malaysia and other Arab and Islamic countries.

In view of the above, better could have been expected of Microsoft than disseminating crude nationalistic and militaristic propaganda at the Israeli population centres, and effectively lend its public support to the destructive war recently launched by the Sharon Government -- a war sharply censured by the international community and controversial among the citizens of Israel itself.

We urge you to take care that this activity is terminated forthwith, and that the estimated tens of thousands of dollars invested in the above-mentioned billboards be used instead for activities aimed at stopping the bloodshed and promoting and equitable Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Microsoft donated $2.5 million to Bush's election campaign, the largest donation received by Bush. In September of 2001 the US Department of Justice dropped its action to break up Microsoft in an attempt to break its monopoly of the computer software market. In 2000 Microsoft hired Ralph Reed as a political consultant who at the time was a senior adviser to the Bush presidential election campaign.

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