In July, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz pointed out that "AnyVision is taking part in two special projects in assisting the Israeli army in the West Bank. One involves a system that it has installed at army checkpoints that thousands of Palestinians pass through each day on their way to work from the West Bank."
Former AnyVision employees spoke to NBC News about their experiences with the company, one even asserting that he/she "saw no evidence that ethical considerations drove any business decisions" at the firm.
The alarming reports
Alas, Microsoft carried on with supporting AnyVision's work unhindered.
This is not the first time that Microsoft is caught red-handed in its support of the Israeli military or criticized for other unethical practices.
Unlike Facebook, Google and others, who are constantly, albeit deservingly being chastised for violating privacy rules or allowing politics to influence their editorial agenda, Microsoft has been left largely outside the brewing controversies. But, like the rest, Microsoft should be held to account.
In its "Human Rights Statement," Microsoft declared its respect for human rights based on international conventions, starting with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In occupying and oppressing Palestinians, Israel violates every article of that declaration, starting with Article 1, which states that "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," and including Article 3: "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person."
It will take Microsoft more than hyperlinking to a UN document to show true and sincere respect for human rights.
Indeed, for a company that enjoys great popularity throughout the Middle East and in Palestine itself, an inevitable first step towards respecting human rights is to immediately divest from AnyVision, coupled with an apology for all of those who have already paid the price for that ominous Israeli technology.
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