Google CEO Sundar Pichai shares a message for Arab, Muslim and Palestinian Googlers

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, after a terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, sent a message to employees, notifying them of the company's relief efforts. He also extended a message to Arab, Muslim and Palestinian Googlers.

“On behalf of Google leaders, I want to share my condolences and support. Our Jewish Googlers around the world are reeling from these attacks — which bring painful reminders of the worst moments in history — and are experiencing a rise in antisemitic incidents that call for increased security at synagogues and schools. Our Palestinian, Arab and Muslim Googlers are deeply affected by a concerning rise in Islamophobia, and are watching with dread as Palestinian civilians in Gaza have suffered significant loss and fear for their lives amid the escalating war and humanitarian crisis. No words can erase this pain,” Pichai wrote.

As for relief efforts, Pichai said that $8 million is being sent to support local non-profit organisations that are providing relief to civilians in Gaza and Israel.

He also acknowledged and thanked those who helped rescue more than 2,000 Google employees in Israel and provided them support on the ground. He added that their Tel Aviv and Haifa offices have shelters and are open to those who might need them.

He added that Google.org is committing an “additional $3 million for local emergency response, and psychological and emotional support for victims, children and families,” Besides this, the company is “committing an additional $3 million to aid organisations providing support for people in Gaza.” Pichai also added that Google employees raised $1 million in donated Search Ads to nonprofits “so they can better connect with people in need and provide information to those looking to help.”

Pichai, in the meantime, is facing ire on social media platform X for condemning Hamas's attack on Israel, but not speaking on Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza.

“CEO of my former employer Google @sundarpichai has posted twice about events in Palestine in the past week. First to voice concern for Israeli workers in Google Israel offices. Second to call out antisemitism. But not a word about Palestinians or Palestinian Google workers,” a user wrote. “Pichai is not a nerd. He is part of the herd. Has zero conviction. Spineless is the word,” another user wrote.

Yet, another user wrote, “You’re actually a terribly un-innovative leader. But it’s clear you’re also a poor human being,” in reply to Pichai's tweet which read, “Deeply saddened by the terrorist attacks in Israel this weekend and the escalating conflict underway. Google has 2 offices and over 2,000 employees in Israel. It’s unimaginable what they’re experiencing. Our immediate focus since Saturday has been on employee safety. We’ve now made contact with all of our local employees and will continue supporting them. We’re also working to provide reliable, accurate information to people through our products, as well as sharing the cyber activity that our experts are seeing. We’ll be supporting humanitarian and relief organizations on the ground. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.