ADL calls on Google shareholders to vote down human rights proposal whose goal is to delegitimize Israel

Jewish rights groups urged shareholders at Google’s parent company Alphabet to reject a proposal that would require the company to investigate whether its cloud-computing services — specifically those used in Israel’s Project Nimbus — contribute to human rights abuses in conflict zones.The proposal, which will be voted on at Alphabet’s annual shareholder meeting on June 6, takes aim at the company’s technology contracts with the Israeli government, including services used by both civilian agencies and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).“Proposal 9 offers the pretense of concern for human rights when in fact it is a thinly disguised ploy to weaken Israel’s national security — and to undermine its right to defend itself — by pressuring Alphabet to withhold vital technology that supports the country’s self-defense capabilities,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League.“We believe this proposal is closely aligned with the objectives of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, whose goal is to delegitimize the State of Israel.”The proposal calls on Alphabet to commission an independent third-party report assessing whether its products and services are being used to cause or contribute to human rights harms in “conflict-affected and high-risk areas” (CAHRA).It specifically highlights the company’s involvement in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion joint cloud project with Amazon that has drawn criticism from anti-Israel activists and protest groups.Alphabet’s board of directors has joined the ADL in recommending that shareholders vote against the measure, according to the proxy statement released by the company ahead of the meeting.Critics argue the proposal distorts the nature of Project Nimbus, portraying it solely as a military initiative while ignoring its civilian applications across Israeli ministries of healthcare, finance, education and transportation.Also opposing the measure is J...