Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, has accused the United Nations of being “transparently antisemitic.”
The claim, made in an internal employee forum, was first reported by The Washington Post and followed a published report by a controversial U.N. official accusing a selection of businesses, including technology firms, of profiting from the “genocide carried out by Israel” in Gaza.
Google and its parent company, Alphabet, were among those listed in the U.N. report as a result of their provision of cloud and AI tech for the Israeli government and Israel Defense Forces.
“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 reportedly wrote to staff in the company’s AI division. “I would also be careful citing transparently antisemitic organizations like the U.N. in relation to these issues.”
The report was produced by Francesa Albanese, the special rapporteur for Palestinian rights, who has been accused of antisemitism by the governments of the United States, Germany and France for a history of using antisemitic tropes, and what has long been seen as a double standard against Israel.
On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department announced that it is officially sanctioning her.
Washington has called her “unfit” for her role. Dorothy Shea, the U.S. interim ambassador to the United Nations, had asked in recent days that U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres remove Albanese from her position and censure her pattern of remarks and actions.
“My comments came in response to an internal discussion that was citing a plainly biased and misleading report,” read a statement from Brin’s spokesperson.
Brin fled with his Jewish parents from Russia to the United States to escape antisemitism in the Soviet Union.
Google has worked with the IDF to provide AI tools following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Last year, the company fired several employees who publicly protested Google’s cloud contract with Israel, claiming that the workplace was not appropriate for arguing over divisive political issues.
