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General Motors Declines To Attend Conference In Occupied Territories
by Dina Rashed
WASHINGTON (IslamOnline) - After receiving letters from several Arab Americans, activists and peace organizations, General Motors Corporation (GM) has decided not to participate in a scientific conference being held in the Israeli settlement of Ariel in the Occupied Territories November 13th-15th.
The large and influential American company was one of the principal sponsors of the Conference on Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of Metal Technologies through its Israeli subsidiary, GM-UMI Technology Research & Development in the Judea and Samaria College.
Arab American individuals, as well as Arab American organizations, sent several letters to the company urging its officials to withdraw its sponsorship of the academic conference
“If the conference goes ahead with your sponsorship, General Motors will be participating in, and endorsing, the occupation of Arab lands by Israel,” said Hala Maksoud, President of the Arab-American Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC) in a letter sent to GM’s President and CEO, Richard Wagoner.
Independent Media Review and Analysis (IMRA), an Israeli media service, said the company withdrew its participation under pressure from Arabs and some Israeli left organizations.
"They were one of the sponsors of the conference. They are interested in this area of development. I am stunned and disappointed,” said Professor Dan Mayerstein, President of the College of Judea & Samaria, commenting on the company’s decision, as reported by IMRA on Sunday.
Gush Shalom, an organization composed of Jews, Arabs, independents, as well as members of political parties and other organizations, have been working to stop activities in the settlements in the Occupied Territories, and have joined in the effort requesting GM to cancel its participation in the conference.
The organization recognizes the rights of the Palestinian people to return and states that Israel should willingly withdraw from the areas occupied in 1967.
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