A new coalition of more than 40 founders, investors, engineers, and tech industry professionals has emerged, announcing the formation of “Tech for Palestine.” This collaborative effort aims to develop open-source projects, tools, and data to support the Palestinian people and raise awareness about the recent conflict in the region.
The launch of Tech for Palestine comes amid a tense period, marked by Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel, resulting in over 1,100 casualties and subsequent conflicts in the Gaza Strip that have led to the displacement of millions of Palestinians and tens of thousands of fatalities.
The Israel-Hamas conflict has stirred controversy within the tech industry and the ongoing conflict has taken a toll on Palestine’s emerging tech industry. While Israel, known for its technology and startup sector, has received robust support, advocating for Palestine has, in some instances, resulted in job loss for individuals expressing their support.
Paul Biggar, founder of Tech for Palestine and the creator of the widely circulated blog post criticizing the tech industry’s lack of support for Palestinians, seeks to amplify awareness of the Gaza conflict, advocate for a lasting ceasefire, and provide a platform for those hesitant to publicly support Palestine. This initiative represents a significant step in the tech sector’s posture toward the Israel-Hamas conflict, as more individuals seek to voice their support for a ceasefire.
Paul Biggar initiated Tech for Palestine after receiving overwhelming support in response to his blog post. Many individuals, fearing career repercussions, reached out with words of encouragement. This led to the rapid formation of the Tech for Palestine community, bringing together like-minded individuals dedicated to driving change in the industry.
Paul Biggar, founder of Tech for Palestine, remains optimistic about the coalition’s potential to bring about change, stating, “The narrative has only just turned. We are working to enable many more who feel silenced to speak out; we are only getting started.”
In its early stages, the platform will showcase projects run by small groups, serving as a hub for sharing resources and advice, mirroring efforts already underway among pro-Palestinian tech workers in private circles.
Tech for Palestine has already introduced initiatives like a GitHub badge calling for a ceasefire and HTML snippets for websites displaying support banners. Right now, you can join Tech for Palestine on GitHub and Discord.
Arfah Farooq, founder of Muslamic Makers, emphasized the unprecedented togetherness and activism witnessed in the last three months, motivating her collaboration with Tech for Palestine. She commended the initiative’s global reach, allowing individuals to contribute remotely despite the challenges imposed by the current circumstances.
As the death toll among Palestinians continues to rise, Tech for Palestine is positioned to make a meaningful impact, sparking a broader movement of a loose coalition of founders, engineers, product marketers, community builders, investors, and other tech folks working towards Palestinian freedom and speaking up against the silence that has prevailed so far.
