[News] How CIA-backed tech giant Palantir aids Israeli genocide in Gaza with AI, surveillance

[Anti-Imperialist News]

presstv.ir 
<https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/08/02/752312/how-cia-backed-tech-giant-palantir-aids-israeli-genocide-gaza-aid-surveillance> 



  How CIA-backed tech giant Palantir aids Israeli genocide in Gaza with
  AI, surveillance

Presstv
August 2, 2025
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*By Ivan Kesic*

*Palantir Technologies, the controversial US data analytics firm founded 
by CIA-backed Trump supporter Peter Thiel, has embedded itself deeply 
within American military and intelligence systems, including the Israeli 
war machine committing genocide in Gaza.*

Specializing in data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and big 
data processing, Palantir has exerted significant influence across both 
government and commercial sectors.

The company has its roots in Silicon Valley, but is now based in Denver, 
Colorado, with more offices in Palo Alto, New York, and globally.

Founded in 2003 by Peter Thiel, Alex Karp, Joe Lonsdale, Stephen Cohen, 
and Nathan Gettings, the company has grown into a global player, 
sparking controversy due to its links to the Israeli military-industrial 
complex.

Established with initial backing from In-Q-Tel, the Central Intelligence 
Agency's (CIA) venture capital arm, Palantir received significant 
investment from Thiel’s Founders Fund and other venture capitalists.

Their clients include the US intelligence community, like the National 
Security Agency (NSA) and CIA, the Department of Defense, the 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as the UK's National 
Health Service (NHS), and international entities like the Israeli and 
Ukrainian military.

It also serves private firms like Airbus and BP.

Palantir Technologies reported $2.23 billion in revenue for 2023, with a 
market cap exceeding $50 billion in 2025, reflecting strong growth in 
military and commercial contracts.

The company's core products include Palantir Gotham, used by military 
and intelligence agencies for terrorism and counterterrorism, predictive 
policing, and geospatial analysis. Palantir Foundry is a commercial 
platform for data integration and decision-making, adopted by industries 
like healthcare and manufacturing. Palantir Apollo is a software 
delivery system that enhances deployment flexibility.

Palantir’s stated mission is to assist institutions in solving complex 
problems using data, leveraging AI for predictive analytics, 
surveillance, and operational efficiency.

Its software integrates disparate data sources, enabling real-time 
decision-making, which has been critical in security and disaster 
response issues.

*Grave ethical concerns*

Observers and analysts argue that Palantir’s dominance in government 
contracts, often secured without competitive bidding due to its deep CIA 
ties, stifles innovation and raises antitrust issues.

The company’s secretive nature, rooted in its intelligence origins, has 
fueled distrust. Its refusal to disclose full client lists or 
algorithmic details fuels transparency concerns.

Palantir’s work with US agencies like ICE has drawn ire for enabling 
mass deportation programs, resulting in employee backlash.

A 2019 investigation by The Intercept revealed Palantir’s role in 
tracking undocumented immigrants, leading to reports of facilitating 
human rights abuses.

In 2020, over 200 Palantir employees signed a letter opposing the ICE 
contract, highlighting internal dissent over the company’s ethical 
direction.

The use of Palantir Gotham in predictive policing has sparked 
controversy over racial profiling and bias in AI algorithms. Critics 
cite studies showing disproportionate targeting of minority communities.

Reports of inadequate data protection surfaced in a 2021 lawsuit by 
former company employees, who claimed that Palantir mishandled sensitive 
information, though the case was settled out of court.

Palantir’s collaboration with the US Department of Defense and foreign 
militaries, such as the Israeli and Ukrainian, has raised grave ethical 
questions.

Its AI-driven targeting systems contribute to targeted civilian 
casualties, particularly amid the ongoing Israeli genocidal war on Gaza.

In July, it was reported that Palantir had gained control over all 
patient data across UK hospitals through its management of the NHS's 
Federated Data Platform.

This sweeping system, implemented in late 2023, centralizes medical 
records for Britain's entire population of 67 million people under the 
supervision of Palantir, provoking strong condemnation from the British 
Medical Association.

*Ties with the Israeli regime*

Palantir has openly affirmed its support for the Israeli regime, with 
CEO Alex Karp stating in a 2024 LinkedIn post, "We stand with Israel," 
and announcing a board meeting in Tel Aviv to enhance regional operations.

This followed an upgraded agreement with the Israeli military affairs 
ministry to support "war-related missions," in a reference to the 
genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza, which has claimed nearly 
60,000 lives so far.

Karp is known for his unapologetic and public support of the Israeli 
genocidal aggression in Gaza and as a promoter of Israeli propaganda 
against Palestinians.

At public appearances, he has often been attacked by the audience for 
the company's assistance in killing Palestinian civilians and personal 
support for Tel Aviv.

/Protest against Palantir's support for Israeli genocide in Gaza/

Thiel, the company's co-founder and chairman, is also a vocal 
pro-Zionist advocate and funder of pro-Israeli tech initiatives via 
Thiel Capital.

Multiple reports highlight Palantir’s provision of AI-driven targeting 
systems to Israeli military and intelligence agencies, leveraging data 
from US sources (NSA, via Edward Snowden’s leaks) to enhance precision 
strikes, notably in Gaza.

Tel Aviv's early adoption of Palantir technology, starting with 
counterinsurgency efforts in the 2000s, suggests a long-standing 
partnership.

The company’s presence in Tel Aviv and joint projects with Israeli tech 
firms reinforce this relationship. In 2013, Palantir opened an R&D 
center in the occupied Palestinian territories to focus on AI, 
cybersecurity, and military tech.

Palantir hires Israeli engineers, many with military intelligence 
backgrounds, including Unit 8200 alumni. The company also invested in 
Israeli startups like Lemonade (AI insurance) and Cybereason 
(cybersecurity).

The company’s support for the Israeli occupation military, including 
advanced targeting capabilities, has been a focal point of criticism in 
recent years.

Palantir’s AI tools, adaptable for both civilian and military use, are 
said to aid Israeli missile systems like Iron Dome integration and 
offensive capabilities, though specific contracts remain classified.

A The Nation article in 2024 detailed Palantir’s role in supplying AI 
hardware and software that enabled precise strikes on Gaza, such as the 
2023 aid vehicle attack, proving its direct complicity in war crimes.

Palantir Technologies supplies its advanced Gotham and Foundry software 
platforms to the Israeli military and intelligence agencies, including 
the IOF, Mossad, and Shin Bet. These powerful data analysis tools serve 
multiple critical functions for the regime.

The systems process intelligence for identifying potential threats and 
targets, as well as enhances border surveillance operations along 
frontiers with Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and Lebanon.

Additionally, the technology aids in cybersecurity and intelligence 
integration across different agencies.

Activists say Palantir’s tech enables mass surveillance in occupied 
territories, such as biometric tracking in the occupied West Bank. In 
2021, Palantir staff protested contracts supporting illegal Israeli 
settlements.

During the 2023-2025 Israeli genocide in Gaza, Palantir's artificial 
intelligence and machine learning capabilities reportedly played an 
important operational role.

The systems helped analyze battlefield information as events unfolded, 
map out Hamas' underground tunnel networks, monitor militant activity 
through social media tracking, and support efforts to locate and recover 
captives.

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the 
occupied Palestinian territories, has accused the company of profiting 
from genocide in Gaza.

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