DaysofPal- Israel has faced widespread international reluctance to participate in a major global conference on artificial intelligence in education planned to take place in Israel, according to a report published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
The newspaper said that most countries invited to the conference have declined to attend, citing opposition to the ongoing Israeli genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.
Sources quoted by Haaretz described the Israeli efforts to organize the event as a “serious failure,” noting that the political fallout from the war has overshadowed the initiative.
The conference, scheduled for February at the Binyanei HaUma Convention Center in occupied Jerusalem, is being organized by the Israeli Ministry of Education, which reportedly invested millions of shekels in preparations.
Despite these efforts, the event has encountered broad international resistance amid what the paper described as a tense diplomatic climate driven by the continued assault on Gaza.
Invitations were sent out beginning in August to education ministers and senior officials from numerous countries.
However, most invitees reportedly showed no interest in traveling to Israel under the current circumstances.
One source cited by Haaretz questioned the timing of the event, asking, “Who organizes an international conference under such conditions?”
According to the report, only a limited number of countries responded positively, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Congo, and Panama, along with Germany and Austria.
Many major global powers were notably absent from the list of participants.
Haaretz also noted organizational difficulties, with the tender to appoint a conference producer closing just two weeks ago after two bidders were disqualified. The event’s budget is estimated at around seven million shekels.
One source said the conference had the potential to be highly successful but warned that poor management and the political context have put it at risk of failure.
While the conference is expected to feature speakers from major technology firms such as Google and Microsoft, the report said it is unlikely to draw substantial international attendance, reflecting what it described as the increasing Israeli diplomatic isolation over the Israeli genocidal war in Gaza.
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