Pro-Palestinian activists slam Google’s $32B Wiz deal: "Merchants of Death"

Nearly 48 hours after Google’s historic $32 billion acquisition of Israeli cloud security firm Wiz, the anti-Israel group 'No Tech for Apartheid' launched a fierce condemnation of the deal, framing it as deepening ties with what they call "Israel’s apartheid regime."

In a statement, the group accused Google of "playing with fire," asserting that the tech giant is "leveraging technology to fuel the American-Israeli war machine" and ignoring the voices of its own employees.

The group framed the timing of the acquisition as particularly provocative, claiming it was announced only hours after Israel allegedly violated a ceasefire and launched airstrikes in Gaza that killed over 400 Palestinians.

The activists referenced Google’s involvement in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion joint cloud contract with Amazon and the Israeli government.

Escalating Rhetoric and Personal Attacks

In its statement, the group called Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian a “shameless merchant of death,” claiming the acquisition was part of Google’s power struggle with Amazon in the cloud computing arena.

They also described Wiz as “an Israeli cloud security company founded by former members of Unit 8200, Israel’s notorious intelligence corps,” and claimed that the deal further entrenches Google’s alignment with a "racist and colonialist project."

A photo shared by the group showed a protest outside Google’s campus in California, accompanied by signs accusing the company of complicity in Palestinian oppression.

A Familiar Campaign Playbook

This protest fits a long-standing pattern by No Tech for Apartheid, known for its aggressive tactics against Google and Amazon over their ties to the Israeli government. Since the October 7 war, the group has ramped up its efforts, organizing employee walkouts, office disruptions, and student protests across U.S. campuses.

In previous campaigns, Google has responded by firing dozens of employees involved in disruptive actions, yet the group's rhetoric and strategy remain unchanged: label any Israeli-linked contract or acquisition as a moral failure, and demand divestment.

Google Moves Ahead Despite the Noise

Despite the backlash, Google shows no sign of retreating. The Wiz acquisition follows months of negotiations, regulatory hurdles, and initial investor resistance. Google even withdrew a prior $23 billion offer due to those obstacles before returning with a stronger bid.

Now, with the deal finalized and valued at $32 billion—Google’s largest acquisition to date—the company appears confident in its direction, signaling that it is prepared to weather both regulatory scrutiny and political protests.

While the activists amplify their claims online and in the media, it’s clear that Big Tech continues to make strategic moves in the global cloud market—with or without their approval.