V-POL Audit: Amazon

Corporate Communications & Public Stance

CEO Andy Jassy publicly declared “We stand with the people of Ukraine” in March 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion, using the company’s corporate Twitter account to signal solidarity ¹. In October 2023, following the attacks in Israel, Jassy described the events as “shocking and painful to watch” on his personal Twitter account ². No comparable public statement addressing Palestinian civilian harm in Gaza has been identified in corporate communications or public filings ¹².

In regulatory filings and investor communications, Amazon has framed Project Nimbus as a government cloud services contract with Israeli authorities. SEC shareholder proposals reference the contract valuated at $1.2 billion, providing cloud infrastructure to Israeli government entities ³.

Operations in Occupied or Contested Territories

Between 2019 and 2020, Amazon’s Israel operations offered free shipping to Israeli settlements in the West Bank while charging customers in the same territory—particularly Palestinian customers—more than $24 for shipping unless they listed their address as “Israel.” The company reversed this policy in March 2020 following public criticism and media coverage ⁴.

The organization Who Profits, which tracks commercial activity in Israeli settlements, documents products manufactured in West Bank settlements being sold on Amazon’s marketplace. Specifically, products from Achdut-Achva, a company operating in the Ariel settlement, appear in Amazon’s product listings ⁵⁶.

Amazon is not listed in the UN Human Rights Council’s database of business enterprises involved in Israeli settlement activity ⁷. No public evidence identified.

Internal Governance, Content & Retail Policies

In September 2025, Amazon suspended Palestinian-American software engineer Ahmed Shahrour, and in October 2025, the company terminated his employment. The termination reportedly followed internal communications in which Shahrour protested Amazon’s work with the Israeli military, specifically Project Nimbus ⁸.

Amazon-owned Twitch updated its Hateful Conduct Policy in November 2024 to explicitly include “Zionist” as a potential slur when used to attack or demean individuals based on their background or religion ⁹.

Note: Meta’s Oversight Board ruled in September 2024 that standalone use of the phrase “From the River to the Sea” does not constitute hate speech under Meta’s policies ¹⁰. However, Amazon does not own Meta Platforms; Amazon owns Twitch, and this ruling applies to Facebook and Instagram, not to Amazon-owned properties.

Brand Heritage & State Partnerships

AWS has established a strategic partnership with the Israel Innovation Authority to launch AION Labs, an artificial intelligence and drug discovery laboratory located in Rehovot, Israel. The lab was established through a government tender process ³¹¹.

AWS and Google were jointly awarded a $1.2 billion contract in 2021 to provide cloud services to the Israeli government and military under the initiative known as Project Nimbus ³¹². Under the contract terms, Israeli state-owned weapons manufacturers IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) and Rafael are required customers, meaning they are obligated to procure cloud services through this arrangement ¹¹.

Lobbying, Advocacy, Financing & Logistics

Amazon’s political action committee contributed $8.19 million during the 2024 election cycle ¹³. The company spent $19.14 million on federal lobbying in 2024 ¹⁴.

The Project Nimbus contract contains explicit “no boycott” provisions prohibiting AWS and Google from halting services due to boycott pressure and from denying service even if Israel violates terms of service ¹². A secret mechanism—referred to as a “winking mechanism”—in the contract requires Amazon and Google to send hidden signals to the Israeli government when data is disclosed to foreign law enforcement authorities ¹⁵.

Amazon discontinued the AmazonSmile program in 2023, which had donated 0.5% of eligible purchases to charitable organizations, including Israeli entities ¹⁶. Amazon does not currently offer an employee charitable matching gift program.

Corporate Structure & Primary Mission

Amazon Israel operates as a subsidiary under the domain amazon.kokooma, serving the Israeli consumer market. AWS Israel provides cloud services including government contracts. Amazon’s primary business mission remains broad e-commerce and cloud computing infrastructure services.

Executive & Leadership Footprint

Keith Alexander, who served as NSA Director from 2005 to 2014 and as Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, has served on Amazon’s Board of Directors since September 2020 ¹⁷. His current term is scheduled to end in April 2026.

Jamie Gorelick has served on Amazon’s Board since 2012. She is a former Deputy Attorney General of the United States (1994-1997) and former General Counsel of the Department of Defense. Gorelick currently serves on the Defense Policy Board, a federal advisory committee ¹⁸.

The UN Special Rapporteur’s report A/HRC/59/23, published in July 2025, names Amazon among technology companies providing tools and technologies that support Israeli military operations in Gaza ¹⁹.

Investor proposals requesting reports on human rights due diligence for Amazon’s Israel-related contracts were excluded from shareholder voting by Amazon in 2024-2025 following SEC no-action letter determinations ²⁰.

End Notes