Sergey Brin has commented on a report alleging that the tech giant profited from Israel’s “genocide”
Google co-founder Sergey Brin has denounced the United Nations as “transparently anti-Semitic” over a report accusing tech firms, including Alphabet, of profiting from Israel’s war in Gaza, The Washington Post has reported.
Brin made the remarks at an internal Google DeepMind forum last week, according to screenshots reviewed by the newspaper, which reported the exchange on Wednesday. His response came after a recent publication by Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, which claimed that Google and its parent company Alphabet had provided cloud and AI tools to the IDF during its operation in Gaza – actions the report described as “the genocide carried out by Israel.”
“With all due respect, throwing around the term genocide in relation to Gaza is deeply offensive to many Jewish people who have suffered actual genocides,” Brin, who is Jewish himself, wrote. “I would also be careful citing transparently anti-Semitic organizations like the UN in relation to these issues.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected suggestions that his troops are committing genocide in Gaza, saying his country is acting in self-defense against an attempted genocide by Hamas.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 57,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed during Israel’s military operation against the militant group.
Albanese has repeatedly labeled Israel’s campaign a “genocide.” The US mission to the UN has pushed for her removal, accusing her of anti-Semitism and bias. On Wednesday, Washington imposed sanctions against her.
Brin’s spokesman told the Post that the comments were made in response to a “plainly biased and misleading report.” Google reportedly declined to comment.
A statement from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s office noted that rapporteurs operate independently and are appointed by the Human Rights Council.
Brin, born in Moscow in 1973, immigrated to the US with his family at age six. He and fellow Google co-founder Larry Page stepped back from day-to-day operations in 2019, although the multi-billionaire has since re-engaged with the company’s AI efforts.
According to The Post, Google expanded AI support to the Israeli military following Hamas’s October 2023 attack. The company and Amazon had earlier secured a $1.2 billion cloud contract with the Israeli government under Project Nimbus.
Google has faced mounting criticism over its role in the conflict. In February, it removed a pledge from its AI guidelines not to develop tools for weapons or surveillance.
The company has also faced scrutiny over alleged political bias. Russian officials have accused it of discriminating against state media and restricting access for users. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the US-based tech giant has restricted monetization tools for Russia-linked entities and suspended payments to app developers with Russian bank accounts.
