ORBIT/FR : CONTEMPT FOR FAIR EMPLOYMENT IN THE HOLY LAND

CAPITOL HILL. THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013 --- ORBIT/FR, Horsham, PA., describes itself as, " dedicated to supporting the antenna test and measurement needs of the defense, aerospace, telecommunication, automotive, academic and research communities."

It also says it strives  "to develop a working environment that encourages ... positive attitudes ... among all our employees.”… Until asked, that is, to sign the Holy Land Principles – a corporate code of conduct for American companies doing business in Palestine-Israel. Then the attitude is far from positive.

Fr. Sean Mc Manus, president of the Capitol Hill- based Irish National Caucus, in 1984 launched the Mac Bride Principles upon which the Holy Land Principles are based – and also launched the Holy Land Principles on International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2012, after he retuned from a visit to the Holy Land.

The Irish-born priest said: “ I am quite taken aback by the reaction we have received from ORBIT/FR. When we wrote to them – as we did to all American companies doing business in The Holy Land --  they responded by telling us to take them of our list. We asked them why would we do that since our job was to get all the companies to sign the Holy Land Principles. A Ms. Lisa Fugelo replied for the company emailing us: “Because your emails are spam and that is where this is going.” ( See her emails below).Now clearly our emails are not spam, which the dictionary defines as, “

irrelevant or inappropriate messages sent on the Internet to a large number of recipients.” 

Fr. Mc Manus explained: “ I had mailed a personalized  letter to  the CEO.,  Per Iverson, and the Investor Relations Contact, with copies of my Memoirs, My American Struggle for Justice in Northern Ireland … And The Holy Land. And we then followed up with two further emails. There is, therefore, no way our communications could be considered as spam. This is a deliberate insult, and a mark of contempt for the fair employment principles embodied in the Holy Land Principles. It is so unprofessional, and totally unacceptable. We shall not be deterred in our efforts to get ORBIT/FR to sign the Holy Land Principles. The objective observer would surely see that their attitude all the more proves their need to sign The Principles.”