Date: January 19, 2026
Subject: Upwork Inc.
Audit Framework: Political Risk & Complicity in the Israeli Occupation of Palestine
Analyst: Governance & Geopolitical Risk Auditor
Reference ID: AUDIT-UPWK-2026-PAL
In the evolving landscape of corporate governance, the definition of “political risk” has expanded beyond traditional regulatory compliance to encompass “political complicity”—the extent to which a corporation’s infrastructure, capital, or leadership facilitates violations of international law or human rights. This audit evaluates Upwork Inc. (Upwork), the world’s leading freelance labor marketplace, to determine its complicity regarding the State of Israel, the occupation of Palestinian territories, and the associated defense industrial complex.
The digital labor platform is no longer a neutral conduit for economic exchange; it is a critical infrastructure of the modern state. For the State of Israel, the technology sector is not merely an economic engine but a strategic asset, inextricably linked to the military apparatus and the surveillance state. Conversely, for the Palestinian territories, digital platforms represent one of the few economic lifelines capable of bypassing physical blockades and checkpoints. Therefore, Upwork’s governance decisions—regarding market access, financial processing, and client screening—constitute significant political acts with tangible material consequences.
The forensic analysis of Upwork’s governance structures, operational footprint, and crisis response protocols reveals a distinct asymmetry in how the corporation manages geopolitical conflict. While Upwork does not exhibit the overt, loud ideological advocacy of organizations like the Jewish National Fund (JNF), its complicity is structural, operational, and passive.
The audit identifies four critical vectors of concern:
This report provides the evidentiary basis for ranking Upwork on a complicity scale. While the corporation avoids explicit political statements, its Business-as-Usual (BAU) approach in the face of documented war crimes constitutes a high level of passive complicity, earning a recommended risk score in the upper quartile of the scale.
To understand Upwork’s political footprint, one must look beyond the current headlines to the capital structures that built the company. The governance audit reveals that Upwork’s DNA is intertwined with the history of Israeli venture capital integration into Silicon Valley.
The Board of Directors holds the ultimate fiduciary and strategic authority over Upwork. An analysis of the current board composition identifies Benchmark Capital as the primary vector of ideological and structural alignment with the Israeli state.
Kevin Harvey, a founding member of Upwork’s Board and a General Partner at Benchmark Capital 1, represents a deep, structural link to the Israeli technology ecosystem. Benchmark Capital was not a passive observer of Israel’s rise as a “Start-Up Nation”; it was an architect.
In 2000, Benchmark Capital became one of the first top-tier Silicon Valley firms to establish a dedicated fund and office in Israel, Benchmark Israel.3 This move was strategic, designed to integrate Israeli startups—often emerging directly from the IDF’s Unit 8200 and other intelligence branches—into the global US market.4 While Benchmark Israel eventually spun out into independent entities (such as Balderton Capital in Europe), the investment thesis remained: the Israeli security and technology sector is a prime source of high-value intellectual property, particularly in cybersecurity and enterprise infrastructure.
Kevin Harvey’s tenure on the Upwork board dates back to the company’s inception (and its predecessor oDesk in 2006).5 This longevity grants him outsized influence over the company’s culture and strategic direction. His background involves founding software companies and investing in infrastructure, placing him squarely within the technocratic elite that views the Israeli tech sector as an indispensable partner.6 There is no evidence in the public record of Harvey advocating for political Zionism in a religious or nationalist sense (e.g., AIPAC speeches), but his professional legacy is built on Economic Zionism—the strengthening of the Israeli state through the capitalization of its technology sector.
As a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee 1, Harvey oversees the selection of new leadership. This structural control ensures that Upwork’s board remains populated by individuals who share the worldview that business with Israel is a neutral economic activity, distinct from the political reality of occupation. This effectively insulates the company from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement at the highest level of governance.
In June 2025, Upwork announced the appointment of Dana L. Evan and Glenn Kelman to the Board.7
Dana L. Evan brings deep experience in the global venture capital ecosystem, having served on boards like Domo, Farfetch, and Proofpoint (another company with significant Israeli R&D operations).8 Proofpoint, for instance, acquired Israeli cybersecurity firms and maintained substantial operations in the country, a strategy typical of the companies Evan governs. Her appointment to the Audit, Risk, and Compliance Committee 1 is particularly significant for this audit. This committee is responsible for evaluating material risks to the company. The fact that “complicity in war crimes” or “reputational risk from Israeli operations” has not appeared as a disclosed risk factor in 10-K filings—despite the “Safe Harbor” precedent set with Russia—suggests that under Evan’s oversight, the occupation of Palestine is not considered a material risk. This is a governance failure that normalizes the occupation.
Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin, joined the board with a reputation for outspoken commentary on economic markets.10 While there is no record of Kelman engaging in Zionist advocacy, his integration into a board dominated by the Benchmark legacy suggests alignment with the standard Silicon Valley orthodoxy. The “refresh” did not introduce any voices known for human rights advocacy or expertise in ethical AI governance in conflict zones, reinforcing the board’s insulation from geopolitical critique.
Hayden Brown, President and CEO, has defined Upwork’s public persona since 2020. Her leadership provides the clearest evidence of the “Safe Harbor” double standard (detailed in Section 4).
Brown’s background is in corporate strategy (Microsoft, McKinsey) 12, a pedigree that emphasizes risk mitigation and brand protection. In the context of Ukraine, Brown was vocal, emotive, and decisive, authorizing significant financial aid and operational exits.13 In the context of Gaza, Brown has retreated into corporate silence. Her internal communications have focused strictly on “team safety” in the region (referring primarily to employees in Israel) and generic humanitarian sentiments, explicitly avoiding any attribution of responsibility for the violence.14
This silence is a strategic choice. It indicates that the CEO views the Israeli market and its associated political lobby as a “third rail” that cannot be touched, whereas Russia was a safe target for corporate virtue signaling. Brown’s refusal to issue a public statement comparable to the Ukraine declaration constitutes a form of passive support for the status quo.
Upwork’s ownership structure is dominated by large institutional investors (Vanguard, BlackRock) who generally oppose shareholder resolutions regarding human rights audits in Palestine.
However, research indicates that Upwork has been the target of shareholder proposals regarding human rights and racial equity audits.16 These proposals, often filed by socially responsible investment firms, attempt to force boards to examine the impact of their products on marginalized communities. The board’s consistent recommendation to vote against or delay these measures 17 demonstrates an active resistance to investigating its own political complicity. The board is not merely unaware of the risk; they are actively fighting against the governance mechanisms that would expose it.
The audit scrutinized Federal Election Commission (FEC) data and lobbying disclosures for evidence of direct financial support to Zionist causes.
| Governance Entity | Key Individual | Affiliation/Action | Risk Level (0-10) | Evidence Source |
| Board of Directors | Kevin Harvey | Benchmark Capital (Founder); Architect of US-Israel VC bridge; Investment in security/surveillance. | 8/10 | 1 |
| Executive Team | Hayden Brown (CEO) | Author of Ukraine condemnation; Enforcer of silence on Gaza; Prioritizes Israeli team safety. | 7/10 | 13 |
| Audit Committee | Dana L. Evan | Venture Partner (Icon); No disclosure of human rights risks in 10-K; Proofpoint board tenure. | 6/10 | 1 |
| Shareholders | Institutional | Blocking of human rights/racial equity audits. | 5/10 | 16 |
The most tangible metric of complicity is the operational support provided to entities directly involved in the occupation and military violence. Upwork’s platform architecture—specifically its Enterprise and Government Contracting solutions—enables the Israeli defense sector to access a global, flexible workforce, thereby increasing its resilience and operational capacity.
A forensic search of the Upwork platform reveals that major Israeli defense contractors utilize the platform, or that the platform hosts a labor pool actively servicing these entities. This creates a “shadow workforce” for the defense sector, allowing them to scale operations using global freelance talent that may not be subject to the same transparency as permanent employees.
Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest private arms manufacturer, responsible for the vast majority of the drone fleet used in Gaza and the surveillance technology along the West Bank separation wall. The audit found direct evidence of Elbit’s integration into the Upwork labor pool.
The audit also identified links to state-owned defense giants Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
Upwork actively promotes a category of work labeled “Government Relations” and “Government Contracting.” This sector is heavily utilized to facilitate the procurement of military and defense contracts.
Upwork’s Enterprise tier 35 allows large clients to hide their identity from the general public, using “talent clouds” and private talent pools. This opacity acts as a shield for political complicity.
The most damning evidence of Upwork’s political alignment is found in the “Safe Harbor” test. This governance stress test asks: Does the company apply the same ethical standards to all conflicts, or does it selectively apply them based on the geopolitical alignment of its home government? The comparison between Upwork’s response to Ukraine (2022) and Gaza (2023-2026) reveals a rating of extreme inconsistency.
Upon the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Upwork acted swiftly, decisively, and publicly.
In response to the war on Gaza, which has resulted in higher civilian casualty counts and infrastructure destruction than the early stages of the Ukraine war, Upwork’s response has been characterized by silence and the maintenance of the status quo.
This disparity proves that Upwork’s “values” are geofenced. By suspending Russia, Upwork established that it can use its platform for political sanction. By refusing to apply the same standard to Israel, Upwork makes a political choice to align with the US/Israeli geopolitical axis. This is not neutrality; it is selective enforcement of human rights policy, effectively providing a “Safe Harbor” for the Israeli economy while punishing the Russian economy.
| Feature | Response to Russia/Ukraine (2022) | Response to Israel/Gaza (2023-2026) |
| Operational Status | Total Suspension of Russia/Belarus. | Business as Usual in Israel. |
| Public Statement | “Senseless war against Ukraine.” | No public statement; “No comment.” |
| Financial Aid | $1 Million dedicated donation. | No specific dedicated fund publicly announced. |
| User Policy | Product changes to aid Ukrainians. | Standard enforcement; blocked accounts in Gaza. |
| Moral Stance | Aggressor identified and sanctioned. | “Both sides” neutrality / Silence. |
The audit examines how Upwork’s policies and infrastructure affect the actual human subjects of the occupation: the Palestinian freelancers. The findings suggest a system of “Digital Apartheid” where Palestinian users face systemic barriers to entry and retention that Israeli users do not.
For years, Upwork touted its partnership with Gaza Sky Geeks (GSG), a Mercy Corps-backed accelerator, as a primary CSR initiative.39 This partnership was used in ESG reports to demonstrate Upwork’s commitment to “economic empowerment.”
The ability to withdraw earnings is the most critical function of a labor platform. In the Palestinian territories, this is severely constricted by the Israeli banking blockade, which Upwork’s compliance systems enforce without modification.
Upwork’s “Trust and Safety” algorithms serve as a digital border patrol.
The tech sector has seen a wave of firings of employees who protest “Project Nimbus” (the Google/Amazon cloud contract with Israel).49
Based on the evidence gathered, we synthesize the data for the “Complicity Scale” (0-10).
| Component | Risk Score (0-10) | Justification & Evidence |
| Governance | 8 | Board is structurally anchored by Benchmark Capital (Kevin Harvey), the architect of the Israel-Valley tech axis. No countervailing human rights representation. 1 |
| Operations | 9 | Hosts “shadow workforce” for Elbit, IAI, Rafael. Facilitates government contracting for defense. “Enterprise” tier shields military clients. 23 |
| Safe Harbor | 10 | Extreme hypocrisy. Proven capacity to exit aggressor states (Russia) but refusal to do so for Israel. Explicit double standard in crisis response. 13 |
| Lobbying | 5 | No direct AIPAC donations found (Standard). Compliance with anti-boycott laws. Lobbying focus is economic, not explicitly Zionist. 17 |
| Internal Policy | 7 | Digital Apartheid in user verification and banking. Abandonment of GSG initiative. Algorithmic bias against Gazan IPs. 42 |
The most significant finding of this audit is Upwork’s role in providing a “Shadow Workforce” for the Israeli defense sector. By allowing freelancers to move between the IDF/Unit 8200, private defense firms (Elbit), and the global market via Upwork, the platform reduces the labor costs and increases the agility of the military-industrial complex. This is not passive neutrality; it is active infrastructural support. The platform extracts value from the “military-grade” skills of Israeli developers while simultaneously creating barriers for the Palestinian victims of that military technology.
The aggregated data supports a ranking in the range of 8.5 / 10.
While Upwork avoids the overt ideological displays of a “Zionist” organization, its structural integration with the Israeli tech sector and its operational support for defense contractors render it a highly complicit actor. The “neutrality” it claims is functionally a “Safe Harbor” for the occupation’s economy.
The audit concludes that Upwork Inc. is not a neutral bystander in the conflict. Through its governance lineage (Benchmark Capital), its client base (Elbit, Rafael), and its discriminatory crisis response policies (Ukraine vs. Gaza), Upwork functions as an integrated component of the transnational technology ecosystem that sustains the Israeli economy and its military capabilities.
The company has successfully weaponized “neutrality” to maintain profitable operations in a conflict zone, while simultaneously failing to protect the most vulnerable members of its own marketplace in Gaza. The discrepancy between the company’s rhetoric on “economic empowerment” and the reality of its operations constitutes a material ethical failure and a high degree of political complicity.
End of Audit Report
