Israel-Hamas war: $8 million in relief
As context for what follows, on Saturday, October 7, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai emailed employees just as the terrorist attacks were unfolding in Israel. Google's efforts at the time were focused on the safety of our 2,000+ employees, and we later confirmed that all were accounted for.
Since then, our security teams have been working around the clock to counter threats and disinformation. We’ve been very focused on detecting and removing graphically violent, hateful or terrorist content, or coordinated disinformation campaigns.
We also recently signed the ADL’s pledge to fight antisemitism.
Today, Sundar sent the following note to employees sharing how we’re supporting people in Israel, Gaza, and around the world, including through $8 million to support local nonprofits.
Hi Googlers,
Following my email last Saturday about Hamas’s horrific terrorist attack in Israel, I wanted to let you know that today we’re announcing $8 million in grants to nonprofits who are providing relief to civilians affected in Israel and Gaza.
First, I want to recognize the teams who have worked tirelessly to make sure our employees were accounted for and who helped evacuate visiting Googlers and provide support on the ground. What our 2,000+ colleagues in Israel are going through is heartbreaking as their families and friends continue to experience loss and horror, with hostages from Israel and around the world in Gaza. Googlers in Israel are still sheltering in safe rooms. Our Tel Aviv and Haifa offices have shelters and remain open to Googlers who need them. Please expect your colleagues in these offices to be focused on the safety of their families and themselves at this moment.
Second, 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.
Yet, we can create a culture of empathy to support our fellow Googlers through the coming weeks and months. I've always been proud of how Googlers come together in moments of crisis. I want to say a special thanks to our ERG communities — especially our Arab, Jewish and Muslim Googlers — for offering guidance and support over the past week.
Third, I wanted to provide an update on our plans to support humanitarian and relief efforts, and to ensure our products and platforms are responsive to the current crisis:
Humanitarian and relief efforts
- Googlers and Google.org have committed more than $8 million to nonprofits providing relief to those affected.
- This includes more than $1 million raised by Google employees with company match and $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.
- Our employee giving campaign supports organizations like Magen David Adom and ERAN. In addition, in order to provide immediate relief and support for those impacted in Israel, Google.org is committing an additional $3 million to NATAL for local emergency response, and psychological and emotional support for victims, children and families.
- Our employee giving campaign also supports organizations like Palestine Red Crescent Society and UNICEF in the State of Palestine. In addition, Google.org is committing an additional $3 million to aid organizations providing support for people in Gaza, including through Save the Children, which is providing essentials — food, shelter, and psychological support.
We plan to offer additional support in the coming weeks as the crisis develops.
Platforms and partnerships
- Content moderation on our platforms is a critical focus right now. We will continue to tackle disinformation, hate speech, graphic content and terrorist content.
- We continue to find ways to provide support through our products. For example, we’ve deployed language capabilities to support emergency efforts including universal dubbing, emergency translations, and localizing Google content to help users, businesses and NGOs.
- We're also doing what we can to help our partners in these extraordinary circumstances. For example, with schools now closed, the Ministry of Education in Israel is using Meet as their core teach-from-home platform and we're providing support. We’re also in touch with Gaza-based partners and participants in our Palestine Launchpad program, our digital skills and entrepreneurship program for Palestinians, to try to support those who have been tragically impacted and displaced.
Finally, we will continue to do everything we can to stand by our Googlers. Even when world events cause the deepest divisions and pain, we can draw strength from our internal community and the mission and values we hold in common. Be kind to yourselves and each other.
-Sundar
