Countries boycott ‘Israel’ AI summit over Gaza war

• An international conference on AI in education planned by ‘Israel’ in occupied Jerusalem collapses after a broad boycott.

• Officials cite the 'Israeli' war on Gaza as the main reason for declining participation.

Hebrew media report a major failure in organizing an international conference on AI in education that was scheduled for February in occupied Jerusalem, after most invited countries declined to participate in protest of the 'Israeli' war on Gaza.

Haaretz quoted informed official sources on Saturday as saying the ‘Israeli’ Ministry of Education had spent millions preparing the event, which was intended to serve as a global platform to promote the use of AI in education. The plan unraveled amid widespread international refusal to attend under current political conditions.

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Sparse confirmations

Invitations were sent in August to education ministers and senior officials from dozens of major countries. The vast majority did not confirm attendance, citing political and security conditions linked to the war on Gaza as making participation unattractive or impossible at this stage, according to Haaretz.

Reports said potential participation was limited to a small group of countries, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Republic of the Congo, and Panama, alongside two European states, Germany and Austria. Most major countries failed to respond positively, signaling what observers describe as growing diplomatic isolation for ‘Israel’ tied to its military policy in Gaza.

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Cost and internal doubts

Sources said the conference budget reached roughly $1.9 million. The tender to select an event organizer was closed several weeks ago after several vendors were excluded, while doubts intensified within ‘Israeli’ circles about the feasibility of holding the conference given the current political climate.

Wider implications

Observers say the episode reflects broader political tensions between ‘Israel’ and countries engaged in scientific and educational cooperation. The refusal to attend a strictly educational event underscores how academic collaboration has been affected by the fallout from the 'Israeli' war on Gaza.

Since October 7, 2023, ‘Israel’ has carried out genocidal crimes in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, displacement, and arrests, in defiance of international appeals and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt the assault.

The genocide has left more than 242,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, most of them children and women, with over 11,000 reported missing. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced amid famine that has claimed many lives, largely among children, alongside widespread destruction that has erased most cities and areas of Gaza from the map.