In March, JLens filed a Notice of Exempt Solicitation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, opposing Proposal 7 in RTX's 2024 proxy statement. The notice was submitted because the proposal contains language that could embolden hostility directed against Jews in the United States and beyond, including allegations that Raytheon's arms sales to Israel are “used to maintain the system of apartheid.”
In response to Sunday’s unprecedented aerial attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Israel, which involved over 300 drones and missiles, ADL joined JLens in urging shareholders to vote against Proposal 7 outlined in the RTX 2024 Proxy Statement. RTX Corporation, the world’s largest aerospace and defense company, is a producer of the Iron Dome defense system through a joint venture, Raytheon Rafael Area Protection Systems (R2S).
“This shareholder proposal is not only false and misleading but also seeks to deprive Israel of essential defensive tools, including the Iron Dome system, which was crucial in defending civilians during Sunday’s attack,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “At a time when Israel is facing an existential threat from Iran and its terror proxies, shareholders of good conscience must reject the hateful anti-Israel rhetoric propagated by the Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.”
“Antisemitism does not belong in corporate proxy statements,” said JLens Managing Director Ari Hoffnung. “Words matter, and we urge shareholders to join us in rejecting hateful rhetoric and supporting Israel’s right to exist by voting AGAINST Proposal 7.”