NEW YORK, March 30, 2026, 12:04 EDT
ADL and JLens urged GE Aerospace shareholders on Monday to vote down Proposal 7, which heads to the ballot at the jet-engine giant’s May 5 annual meeting. The measure calls for an independent probe into how GE assesses human-rights risks tied to its defense products’ end users. GE’s board is already recommending a no vote.
GE is ramping up defense production as competition intensifies. The company revealed earlier this month it will inject an additional $1 billion into its U.S. manufacturing operations for 2026, with over $275 million designated specifically for defense engine plants. CEO Larry Culp said U.S. aerospace strength hinges on “sustained investment” in talent, infrastructure, and technology. GE Aerospace
Presbyterian Foundation is behind Proposal 7, which asks GE to bring in an outside firm to audit its due-diligence practices. The assessment would focus on how GE assesses the risk that its defense products could be tied to human-rights abuses or breaches of international laws of war in areas marked by conflict or classified as high-risk.
GE’s proxy says generating the report isn’t worth the cost or time, claiming shareholders wouldn’t get much out of it. The board points to existing U.S. export controls and trade rules covering defense sales, and notes that GE has trade-compliance, sanctions, and human-rights programs it believes are comparable to peers.
Jonathan Greenblatt, who heads the ADL, called Proposal 7 “fundamentally discriminatory.” Over at JLens, managing director Ari Hoffnung said the proposal was forcing “a political agenda into the boardroom.” The two groups insist foreign military sales are governed by U.S. export controls and federal rules, not solely GE. ADL
The supporting statement calls for more transparency, arguing investors should get a clearer picture. It points to GE’s track record of supplying products to armed forces accused of wrongdoing—highlighting equipment delivered to the Israeli Defense Forces specifically. The statement says beefed-up disclosure would help GE assess and address risk, and bring its approach in line with industry peers.
This governance decision stands out. GE’s Defense & Propulsion Technologies arm pulled in $10.6 billion in revenue for 2025, and shareholders saw an 86% total return last year. Shares dropped $6.32 by midday Monday, trading at $276.49.
The real issue now: not only whether Proposal 7 fails, but how much traction it gets. Should backing come in above GE’s own estimates, the company could be staring down more heat during next year’s proxy contests. The terrain has changed, too, since the SEC in November decided to stop providing detailed feedback on most no-action requests to block shareholder proposals.
GE’s annual meeting goes virtual this year, set for May 5 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. Shareholders are expected to vote on Proposal 7, choose directors, weigh in on executive pay, and review additional matters laid out in the 2026 proxy.
