Google committing $8 million to Israel, Gaza relief efforts

Google last week detailed its initial employee, product, and cybersecurity response to the situation in Israel and Gaza, and CEO Sundar Pichai provided an update today about relief efforts:

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.

Sundar Pichai

Google announced over $8 million in grants to local nonprofits providing relief to affected civilians in Israel and Gaza. Google.org is committing “$3 million for local emergency response, and psychological and emotional support for victims, children and families” in Israel.

The philanthropic arm is also providing “$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.”

Googlers raised more than $1 million with a company match, while the company is donating $1 million in Search Ads for nonprofits to “provide information to those looking to help.”

Meanwhile, Google notes how the Israeli Ministry of Education is using Meet video calling as “their core teach-from-home platform and we’re providing support.” Similarly:

…we’ve deployed language capabilities to support emergency efforts including universal dubbing, emergency translations, and localizing Google content to help users, businesses and NGOs.

On the employee front, visiting employees have been evacuated, while the “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.

SunDar pichai