On hand at the launch (of The Institute at Ben-Gurion University), according to coverage, were officials from global firms like Microsoft and General Motors, as well as top-tier Israeli politicians, like Herzog, the president. (A spokesperson for GM told The Intercept they could not confirm the company’s attendance.)
An American auto maker showing up at the opening of a secretive cyberspying training academy in Israel is concerning.
There is some debate over where Mecca is currently situated and where it may have been located historically.