Tariq Ra’ouf, a former tech expert at Apple Inc., has spoken out following termination from the company, alleging that Ra’ouf’s advocacy for Palestinian rights led to the dismissal.

 

In a statement on GoFundMe, Ra’ouf detailed the experiences and events leading up to the termination. 

 

After trying to fight Apple & their anti- bias and racism for the last 9 months, I have been terminated for something that should’ve been a misconduct/warning.

 

We knew this was coming, but please consider donating/sharing as I figure out what’s next.https://t.co/fBx8VxNj9i pic.twitter.com/S4CWrgHGVL

 

— Tariq Ra’ouf (@tariq_raouf) July 5, 2024

Ra’ouf accused Apple of maintaining a biased stance in its public statements, particularly during the recent “Israeli” aggression on Gaza, where Ra’ouf claimed the company expressed sympathy solely for “Israeli” lives lost while remaining silent on Palestinian casualties.

 

"For the last nine months, I have been fighting Apple Inc. and their anti-Palestinian racism," Ra’ouf stated in his post. Ra’ouf criticized Apple CEO Tim Cook for not addressing the genocide against Palestinians.

 

Ra’ouf recounted a specific incident on June 27 when Ra’ouf inadvertently recorded a video while on duty for an interview. 

 

Despite deleting the video upon advice from a colleague whom Ra’ouf trusted, the incident was reported to Apple's Human Resources department. 

 

Ra’ouf admitted to misleading HR about the video's purpose but claimed betrayal when Ra’ouf’s trusted colleague disclosed the truth, leading to the termination under Apple’s policies against retaliation during HR investigations.

 

"I’ve been fighting tooth and nail to get this company to stand by their own alleged morals, and have been so loud in my activism," Ra’ouf lamented. “I knew they were waiting for me to [mess] up, and of course, the moment I did, they fired me.

 

"I’m not sure what’s next for me, but I know I’m not going to stop fighting," Ra’ouf affirmed.

 

This is not the first time Apple terminated employees over their support for Palestine.

 

In April, nearly 300 current and former Apple employees signed an open letter, accusing the company of unjustly terminating workers who expressed support for Palestine.

 

Similarly, earlier in June, a former Meta engineer filed a lawsuit against the company for discrimination and wrongful termination, alleging that Meta fired him for attempting to address bugs causing the suppression of Palestinian content. 

 

 

Apple’s complicity

 

A group of Apple shareholders and current and former employees publicly called for the company to cease funding illegal “Israeli” settlements and the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on June 13.

 

This letter, known as Apples4Ceasefire, urged the company to remove multiple organizations from its donation platforms that support West Bank settlements.

 

Ra’ouf is one of the letter's signatories.