this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2025

172 points (92.6% liked)

Technology

37726 readers

12 users here now

This is the official technology community of Lemmy.ml for all news related to creation and use of technology, and to facilitate civil, meaningful discussion around it.

Ask in DM before posting product reviews or ads. All such posts otherwise are subject to removal.

Rules:

1: All Lemmy rules apply

2: Do not post low effort posts

3: NEVER post naziped*gore stuff

4: Always post article URLs or their archived version URLs as sources, NOT screenshots. Help the blind users.

5: personal rants of Big Tech CEOs like Elon Musk are unwelcome (does not include posts about their companies affecting wide range of people)

6: no advertisement posts unless verified as legitimate and non-exploitative/non-consumerist

7: crypto related posts, unless essential, are disallowed

founded 6 years ago

MODERATORS

MinutePhrase@lemmy.ml

172

100+ Meta employees, including Head of AI Policy, confirmed as ex-IDF (thegrayzone.com)

submitted 1 week ago by IndustryStandard@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.ml

43 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Shira Anderson, an American international rights lawyer, is Meta’s AI policy chief who voluntarily enlisted for the IDF in 2009 under a program which enables non-Israeli Jews who aren’t eligible for military conscription to join the Israeli army.

With AI a critical emerging technology for tech giants and militaries, Anderson’s role at Meta is an important one. She develops the legal guidance, policies and public relations talking points concerning AI issues and regulation for all of Meta’s key areas, including its product, public policy and government affairs teams.

At Meta, Anderson, who is based in Meta’s Washington DC office, is in familiar company. More than one hundred former Israeli spies and IDF soldiers are employed by the company, my new investigation shows, many of whom worked for Israel’s spy agency Unit 8200.

all 44 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] truthfultemporarily@feddit.org 49 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They have mandatory military service no? Then isn't every person from Israel ex- IDF.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Yes all occupiers are valid military targets but keep in mind that

Meta’s AI policy chief who voluntarily enlisted for the IDF in 2009 under a program which enables non-Israeli Jews who aren’t eligible for military conscription to join the Israeli army.

[–] truthfultemporarily@feddit.org 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

No not all people from Israel are "valid military targets". Wtf.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That is what mandatory conscription leads to. All Israelis except for the very few who refuse service are trained soldiers with direct ties to the army. All those reservists are now participating in the genocide.

[+] ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.com -6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Good thing that nobody is saying that and limiting their rhetoric to armed forces occupying Palestine.

[+] ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.com -12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That is what mandatory conscription leads to. All Israelis except for the very few who refuse service are trained soldiers with direct ties to the army. All those reservists are now participating in the genocide.

Short memory?

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Can you quote the part where it says "kill all the Jews"? You are changing topic.

[+] ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.com -8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You mean the part where you say that all ex-IDF are valid military targets? Look up a couple steps.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

All IDF reservists occupying Palestine are valid military targets.

Can you explain what this has to do with Judaism?

[–] Auntievenim@lemmy.world 0 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Well, you see, the idf is representative of all jews, so when you say the idf are valid military targets what you mean is all jews, obviously

[–] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

poe's law exemplar 😬

[–] Auntievenim@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If you lay it on thick enough you can almost sound like a hasbara bot, almost.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I discourage doing sarcastic Hasbara because actual Zionists will say something more insane but be dead serious about it.

[–] AnarchoBolshevik@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Such is the nature of left antisemitism: you must always read between the lines.

For example, a user by the name of Anarcho-Bolshevik once commented ‘Every Jew is like a precious lamb to me. (Except for Netanyahu and anybody who supports him… those people are awful.)’

You shall see, gentlemen, that this is, without question, the single most antisemitic comment ever written, for a few simple reasons:

Calling Jews ‘precious’, which puts a price on them, so she or he is actually saying that all Jews are commodities. Strike one.
Comparing Jews to animals frequently intended for consumption, thereby implying that she or he wants to eat all Jews, as anybody could logically deduce from that. Strike two.
Saying that anybody who supports Netanyahu is awful, but supporting the war on Gaza supports Netanyahu, and 99.99% of Jews are Zionists, which means that they support the war on Gaza, so she or he is really saying that all Jews are awful. Strike three.

Now you will understand the reasons which have led countries to persecute and isolate those leftists marked by the stigma of their antisemitism. The domination of such leftists within society is disturbing and dangerous for the destiny of the nation.

[+] ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.com -16 points 1 week ago (2 children)

All Israelis except for the very few who refuse service are trained soldiers with direct ties to the army. All those reservists are now participating in the genocide.

Now maybe they didn't say 'go out in the world and hunt down people of the Jewish faith across the globe for eradication' but when you say 'All Israelis' and unless I'm mistaken the principal population of the state there is ethnic Jews, then it's not a big step. When you have a mandatory conscription state, and you say kill all the people who served in the military of said state (they are all valid military targets) then you are advocating for the ethnic cleansing of a population.

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 20 points 1 week ago

Over 100,000 Israelis have reportedly stopped showing up for reserve duty.

It's not just a few anymore. Israelis are waking up and you shouldn't be erasing the heroic Israelis who refuse to serve in the IOF. They're also ethnic Israeli Jews, after all.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I said soldiers occupying Palestine. Not "Jews across the world".

The religion of the occupying soldiers does not hold any relevance to their status as valid military targets.

Israel is Jewish in the same way ISIS is Islamic. Only when nitpicking things which are convenient to them. Such as genocide.

[–] ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.com -4 points 1 week ago

Who said religion? The principal population of the state is ethnic Jews. Or is your ethnicity switchable at will? Declaring that the population of a state should be killed is wrong regardless of the location, conscription laws or voluntary be damned.

[–] shortrounddev@lemmy.world -4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

You understand that you're effectively arguing for targeting Israeli civilians with violence and advocating for genocide. You're explicitly endorsing terrorism

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

You’re explicitly endorsing terrorism

I am not endorsing Israel nor violence against civilians. I am endorsing the right of Palestinian armed resistance against occupation soldiers

[+] shortrounddev@lemmy.world -8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You're advocating for violence against civilians

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

No I very clearly said IDF soldiers.

[+] shortrounddev@lemmy.world -10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Active duty IDF soldiers? Or former IDF soldiers; because you're trying to "out" former military Israeli civilians who happen to work for facebook.

Do you believe that it is right to target any former member of the Israeli military, who is now a civilian, with violence?

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The term reservist means the Israeli army can actively summon them for combat. As Israel has done for the genocide in Gaza.

Unless these soldiers decide to leave occupied Palestine they are not ex-soldiers because they are actively occupying and can be summoned for combat.

If you are talking about the ex-IDF soldiers at Facebook, they are not valid military targets if they are not occupying Palestine. Though they should face a court of law if they are using their position for Israel.

[–] yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de -5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Attacking reservists who are not activated violates the Geneva Convention and is nearly universally considered - including by Palestine, which has signed the Geneva Convention - to be a war crime.

This includes civilians - which deactivated reservists are - in occupied areas.

Ukraine is similarly not allowed to attack occupying Russians in Crimea who moved there after 2014, despite the fact all male Russians had military service.

Israel uses the exact same argumentation to kill "combat-aged" men - that is to say, male Palestinians who look 14 or older.

Also, being an occupying civilian during a conflict does not allow an opposing party to arrest them. They are afforded various protections, especially by the 4th Geneva Comvention.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

You should look up why the UN does not classify Hamas as a terrorist organisation and educate yourself on the right of armed resistance for people under occupation.

What Israel says is irrelevant. They are the occupier and have no right to anything except moving out of Palestine as soon as possible.

[–] yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de -2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

I do not care about what Hamas is or isn't, nor do I care what Israel says it is or isn't.

Hamas is bound by Articles 1 and 2 of Protocol 1 of the 4th Geneva Conventions:

Article 1:

(4) The situations referred to in the preceding paragraph include armed conflicts in which peoples are fighting against colonial domination and alien occupation and against racist régimes in the exercise of their right of self-determination.

Article 2:

In addition to the provisions which shall be implemented in peacetime, the present Convention shall apply to all cases of declared war or of any other armed conflict which may arise between two or more of the High Contracting Parties, even if the state of war is not recognized by one of them.

The Convention shall also apply to all cases of partial or total occupation of the territory of a High Contracting Party, even if the said occupation meets with no armed resistance.

Although one of the Powers in conflict may not be a party to the present Convention, the Powers who are parties thereto shall remain bound by it in their mutual relations. They shall furthermore be bound by the Convention in relation to the said Power, if the latter accepts and applies the provisions thereof.

Palestine is generally considered to be under alien occupation and therefore falls under this protocol.

And what is a combatant?

Article 44:

(1) Any combatant, as defined in Article 43 , who falls into the power of an adverse Party shall be a prisoner of war.

Article 43:

(2) Members of the armed forces of a Party to a conflict are combatants, that is to say, they have the right to participate directly in hostilities.

And a civilian?

Article 50

(1) A civilian is any person who does not belong to one of the categories of persons referred to in Article 4 A (1), (2), (3) and (6) of the Third Convention and in Article 43 of this Protocol. In case of doubt whether a person is a civilian, that person shall be considered to be a civilian.

(Note: article 4 A goes into more detail as to who can become a POW. Basically anyone who is armed or accompanies the army during conflict.)

From those articles it clearly follows that reservists who are not activated are civilians.

It does not necessarily follow that Hamas is a terrorist organization, nor have I ever claimed it was. The right to armed resistance is still bound by international law such as this protocol.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Israel is out there bombing hospitals by calling them Hamas . Witholding food by calling it Hamas. And all the signatures to the Geneva Convention are on board with it.

The Geneva Conventions are a meme document which holds zero value and should never be quoted by anyone trying to make a serious argument.

It also does not apply to Gaza which is ran by Hamas.

If you think Israeli occupation soldiers can apply for civilian status while they are on role call for genocide duty I am not sure what to tell you.

The Palestinian People have the right to resistance by all means available at their disposal

[–] yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de -3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

196 countries signed and ratified all 4 Geneva Conventions, with 174 of them having further ratified the procol I quoted.

Most signatories are not "on board" with Israel ignoring this document, unless you somehow believe Western countries are the only countries to matter. And even then, there are various notable dissenters such as Ireland.

The Geneva Convention absolutely apply to international conflict, otherwise no country would bother with upholding them at least partially.

Why does Israel even fight the ICC instead of simply ignoring it? If it had no impact they could save the attorney resources they are spending. It's because it very much impacts them in terms of international relations. Every single international treaty relies on trust alone. Become untrustworthy and you will get worse deals.

And it does very much apply to Gaza. The internationally recognized representation of the state of Palestine who claim jurisdiction over Gaza has signed it shortly after becoming a non-member state of the UN. There is no country on this planet who has signed the Geneva Convention but considers Gaza to not be bound by it.

Also, before Hamas even existed, the PLO declared themselves bound by the Geneva Conventions. The only reason they didn't sign the declaration was because the UN didn't consider Palestine a state. Hamas has not rescinded this declaration from what I have found.

By the way, there is no "application" for civilian status. Either you are a civilian or you are not. And no one on this planet considers reservists to be soldiers unless they intend to kill civilians. A 100 year old Israeli in a hospital bed would be deserving of execution according to your definition.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The PLO was a failed organization which achieved nothing except recognizing Israel. Showing that abiding by the rules of the occupiers will never end occupation

All combat aged occupiers occupying Palestine are valid military targets.

I would equally not shed a single tear if Ukrainians killed Russian occupiers on Crimea. Once again their only right is to stop being an occupier asap.

[–] yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de -1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Hamas is still the legal successor of the PLO in Gaza though?? Everything the PLO signed/declared is valid in Gaza until Hamas revokes it. That's literally how succession of states/governments works. There hasn't been a revolution in Gaza, it has been a (relatively) peaceful transfer of power.

This occurs regardless of what you think of one authority. Governments do not void anything and everything the previous government has done.

It's utterly insane you consider civilians to deserve death. I will never understand how anyone with a working moral compass can justify killing civilians. People like you are the fuel genocide engines run on.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

The PLO is ran by the Mahmoud Abbas. The arch nemesis of Hamas and allies to Israel.

I think it is insane that you consider colonial occupiers as civilans. If someone breaks into your house, kicks you out and then occupies it do you believe that they suddenly gain the right to self defense? These people are without any doubt on stolen land. They are trained as soldiers and when Palestinians excersize their right to regain their stolen land these people will fight them for it.

People like you are the fuel genocide engines run on.

No people like you are who believe that resistance against genocide is genocide and fail to follow a chronological order and then call every party the same. Like calling the Jews and the Nazis the same.

After WW2 a lot of Nazi settlers in Poland who stole houses from their victims were kicked out. And that was awesome.

Officially according the the Geneva Convention even soldiers are not valid military targets unless they carry a weapons. Nobody follows the Geneva Convention because if they Palestinians would not be locked in a concentration camp right now. But hey the Palestinians have to follow it!

All Israeli colonists of military age are soldiers who will kill Palestinians trying to regain their land. Hamas very specifically avoids killing children.

[–] lud@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's very clear sometimes who wants suffering and who actually wants peace.

[–] yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de -2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Ok? Don't quite know how this relates to my comment about legislation behind armed conflict and the definition of "civilian" though. Did you respond to the wrong person?

[–] lud@lemm.ee 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm on your side mate.

I'm equally annoyed when people want civilians to die no matter who.

[–] yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 1 week ago

Ah, alright then. I didn't really understand what your comment was referring to at first.

[–] Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works 27 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Aren’t nearly all Israelis ex-IDF? Pretty sure terrorism is mandatory in that country, and avoiding conscription is a crime.

[–] 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 1 week ago

US has never had problem with hiring evil. From bringing literal Nazis to Zionists home to further their agenda. This is after the evil they already inflicted on the natives and POC.

Hell, you might even think the US government actively seeks out these evil people to work with.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 13 points 1 week ago

With the proliferation of former Israeli spies and solders into US big tech we are looking at the complete capture of the US national security state by pro-Israel voices.

[–] HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Colour me unsurprised

[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Lol infiltration amirite?

I heard the guy who was in the group chat talking about the US bombing Yemen without declaring war was also an ex-IDF

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world -2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Let's call it an even 200 employees. That amounts to, rounded up, .003% of Meta's staff of 74,067. Do with that info what you will

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Only half of those are engineers. And far less are at top roles in Meta such as ex COO Sheryl Sandberg