Brian Eno calls out Microsoft over Israel ties in open letter: ‘Not In My Name’
Brian Eno (Photo credit DiEM25 (c) DR)
British composer and DiEM25 co-founder Brian Eno has issued a direct and forceful open letter condemning Microsoft’s collaboration with the Israeli military, citing the company’s involvement in technologies linked to civilian casualties in Gaza.
Published via DiEM25 (Democracy in Europe Movement 2025), Brian Eno’s open letter revisits his historic role in composing the original Windows 95 start-up chime—a brief audio clip that once symbolized technological optimism. However, Eno now says that symbol has been “darkly inverted” by Microsoft’s current actions.
Table of contents
Brian Eno’s Activism
Microsoft’s Involvement in Israel’s Military
Eno’s letter directly responds to a Microsoft blog post published on May 15, 2025, in which the company acknowledged supplying Israel’s Ministry of Defence with cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence services, and software tools.
According to Eno, these technologies are not neutral tools. He states that they are used in what he describes as “lethal technologies” that support operations violating international humanitarian law.
“Selling and facilitating advanced AI and cloud services to a government engaged in systematic ethnic cleansing is not ‘business as usual’. It is complicity,” Eno writes.
A Personal and Political Break
Eno contrasts his original collaboration with Microsoft in the 1990s—then seen as a creative and forward-thinking project—with the company’s present-day involvement in warfare and surveillance.
“My new start-up chime is this: stand in solidarity with the brave Microsoft workers who have done something truly disruptive and refused to stay silent. They risk their livelihoods for people who have lost and will continue to lose their lives,” he adds.
As part of his protest, Eno pledges to donate the original Windows 95 fee he received to support victims in Gaza. He also urges artists, technologists, and concerned citizens to pressure Microsoft to suspend services that enable actions breaching international law.
Brian Eno’s Broader Political Engagement
Past Statements on Gaza
In October 2023, Brian Eno signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire and Palestinian liberation. That letter condemned violence against all civilians. A subsequent update, published four days later, acknowledged the October 7 Hamas attacks, stating that the signatories “share revulsion at the horrific massacres of 1400 people in Israel conducted by Hamas.”
However, Eno’s public statements have primarily focused on criticizing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Ukraine and NATO
In 2022, Eno also signed an open letter condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, he – naively – called on NATO to avoid further escalation and urged the UK government to prioritize diplomacy. His later remarks continued to promote de-escalation and diplomatic solutions as essential to preventing further conflict. Three years further down the road this vision has proven to be an utter disaster with Russia using these peace movement advocates to try and sabotage weapon deliveries to Ukraine and thus giving Russia a military advantage.
About Brian Eno
Brian Eno, born May 15, 1948, in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, is a composer, producer, visual artist, and thinker renowned for pioneering ambient music and experimental approaches to sound. He first gained attention in the early 1970s as a member of Roxy Music, playing synthesizer and adding visual flair before leaving the band in 1973.
He went on to release influential solo albums such as “Here Come the Warm Jets” (1974) and “Another Green World” (1975), which merged pop melodies with avant-garde soundscapes. In the late 1970s, Eno coined the term “ambient music”, launching the genre with albums like “Music for Airports” (1978). His concept was that music could serve as an atmosphere or environment—rather than a focal point.
As a producer and collaborator, Eno played a central role in shaping iconic albums by David Bowie (the Berlin Trilogy), Talking Heads (Remain in Light), and U2 (The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby). His contributions also extend to visual art installations, books on creativity, and extensive political advocacy.
Among his lesser-known but widely heard works is the six-second start-up chime for Microsoft Windows 95. In recent decades, Eno has increasingly used his public platform to advocate for peace, sustainability, and digital ethics.
He is a founding member and Advisory Board member of DiEM25, where he actively supports anti-militarism, democratic reform, and social justice in Europe.
About DiEM25
DiEM25 (Democracy in Europe Movement 2025) is a pan-European political movement that calls for fundamental reform of the European Union. The group argues that the EU must be radically transformed to address systemic crises—ranging from economic inequality to environmental collapse and democratic erosion.
Its mission is simple: “Through a coordinated effort across Europe, unite citizens and create enough energy to save the EU from itself.”
Founded in 2016, the movement has since launched political parties in Germany, Greece, and Italy. These parties have taken clear stances on the Palestinian issue, supporting calls for an immediate ceasefire, international legal accountability, and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
DiEM25 has also cooperated with a Hague-based legal team working to investigate alleged war crimes in Gaza. Its campaigns continue to denounce what it calls corporate and governmental complicity in the ongoing Israeli military campaign.
Note that it’s a mix of anti-European activists, pure communists, left-wing and socialist political party representatives.
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