What is project nimbus ? Read more down below. ⏬⏬

**Project Nimbus is a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract signed in 2021 between the Israeli government and Google (Google Cloud) and Amazon (AWS).**

It provides advanced cloud infrastructure, AI tools, and related services to Israeli government ministries, agencies, the defense establishment (including the military), and other public bodies, helping them migrate operations to the cloud while keeping data within Israel's borders under strict security protocols.

The project unfolds in four phases: building infrastructure, developing policies, migrating operations, and optimizing them. Israeli officials have credited it with supporting military efforts, such as retaliation against Hamas, and it includes "landing zones" for the Ministry of Defense.

**Key controversial terms, revealed in recent leaks (October 2025), include two unorthodox provisions:**
- **"Zero restrictions"**: Google and Amazon cannot restrict Israel's use of services—even for military/intelligence data or if it breaches their terms of service (e.g., for human rights violations)—and must continue providing access.
- **"Winking mechanism"**: The companies must secretly alert Israel via coded payments (e.g., ₪1,000 for a U.S. request matching +1 dialing code; ₪100,000 if gagged) if foreign courts/authorities demand Israeli data, potentially evading legal gag orders.

These terms helped secure the deal over competitors like Microsoft, which reportedly refused them.

**It has faced significant backlash:** Google and Amazon employees (via No Tech for Apartheid) have protested since 2021, accusing it of enabling surveillance, apartheid, and Gaza operations (e.g., AI for targeting). Actions include sit-ins, firings (e.g., a Google engineer in 2024), and petitions; companies claim services follow terms prohibiting harm. Critics, including the EFF, highlight risks of AI-fueled abuses in occupied territories.

(Note: "Project Nimbus" can also refer to a video game, but context points to this tech deal.)