Red Hat
Red Hat is a software company owned by IBM that provides cloud computing infrastructure and services to Israeli military units through its Israeli subsidiary Red Hat Israel.
Corporate Support for Israeli Operations
Red Hat CEO Matt Hicks publicly expressed support for Israeli military operations following October 7, 2023. In an email to all Red Hat employees, Hicks condemned what he called "acts of terrorism and violence" while expressing solidarity with Red Hat's Israeli associates, many of whom were "being called back into service" in the Israeli military.
Military Cloud Platform
Red Hat Israel provides the OpenShift platform that serves as the foundation for Israeli military operations. The platform is used by most military units as a vital component of daily operations, enabling development and deployment of applications and AI models for military purposes.
Red Hat works directly with the Mamram Unit (Center of Computing and Information Systems), which provides cloud services to all Israeli military units and general staff. In 2018, Mamram launched its operational cloud based on Red Hat infrastructure as part of a military cloud platform used by thousands of operational users. The project was estimated at millions of NIS and enables information sharing between the Military Intelligence Directorate, Israeli Air Force, Ground Forces, and Navy.
A Red Hat executive even stated to Israeli media:
we see ourselves as partners of the IDF.
Military Training and Integration Programs
Red Hat Israel operates the "Nitzanim" program, a three-year training program designed to train high school students for integration into military units. In 2023 and 2022, company personnel held technology summer camps with Israeli military officers.
In December 2023, Red Hat hosted 100 students from the pre-military preparatory of the Israeli military's Computer and Cyber Defense School for a three-day technology hackathon on "Operation Swords of Iron" - the name Israel gave to military operations launched against Gaza in October 2023. The collaboration provided students with tools for developing technological solutions adapted to the military.
Red Hat maintains joint projects with Israeli military Computer Service and Cyber War divisions in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. In 2022, Red Hat awarded Mamram Unit its 2022 technological innovation award at the company's Global Summit event for customers worldwide.
Nimbus Project
Red Hat was selected as one of the authorized providers for the Nimbus Project, offering its OpenShift hybrid cloud application platform to Israeli government ministries. The Nimbus tender includes cloud computing services to the Israeli Ministry of War and state-owned weapons manufacturers Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced War Systems.
US Military-Industrial Complex
Red Hat maintains partnerships with US military contractors and the Department of War. The company collaborates with Northrop Grumman and Microsoft to deliver Azure Red Hat OpenShift for US Government agencies, specifically addressing Department of War software modernization goals. This includes cloud services for Federal Systems Integrators and the broader DOW Enterprise Cloud Environment.
Sources:
- Aljazeera What is Project Nimbus, and why are Google workers protesting Israel deal?
- Red Hat Support for our Israel associates
- Red Hat Events Fireside chat with Microsoft and Northrop Grumman
- People and Computers Meital Mr. Haim, Red Hat: "We consider ourselves partners of the IDF"
- Who Profits IBM
- Who Profits IBM: A Major Facilitator of Israel's Surveillance and Security Apparatus