FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


             VISHAY TO ACQUIRE GENERAL SEMICONDUCTOR FOR STOCK
       VALUED AT $13.54 PER SHARE IN ACCRETIVE, TAX-FREE TRANSACTION

     MALVERN, PA, and MELVILLE, NY, AUGUST 1, 2001 - Vishay
Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE:VSH) and General Semiconductor, Inc. (NYSE:SEM)
today announced they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under
which Vishay will acquire General Semiconductor, a leading manufacturer of
power management devices, in a tax-free, all-stock transaction currently
valued at $538.9 million plus $229.4 million of assumed debt. Shareholders
of General Semiconductor will receive 0.563 shares of Vishay for each
General Semiconductor share, valuing the transaction at $13.54 per General
Semiconductor share based on Vishay's closing price yesterday.

     The addition of complementary General Semiconductor products to
Vishay's existing product line will create the premier line of discrete
electronic components and position the combined company to meet a broader
range of customer needs while enhancing R&D efforts focused on leading-edge
power management products. The transaction is expected to be immediately
accretive to Vishay's earnings and yield significant operational synergies
and cost savings, expected to exceed $50 million annually when fully
realized. Vishay will have a strong balance sheet with virtually no net
debt, creating a platform for further strategic initiatives.

     Dr. Felix Zandman, Chairman and CEO of Vishay, said, "The agreement
with General Semiconductor is an outstanding strategic transaction which
will clearly benefit both companies and their respective shareholders and
customers. We have complementary product lines, opportunities for
substantial savings and greater efficiencies, and the balance sheet to
continue to expand opportunistically during the current industry downturn.
General Semiconductor has many outstanding products and talented employees,
and some of the finest chip designers in our industry. We are pleased to
welcome them to the Vishay family."

     Zandman added, "Consolidation is necessary in our industry, and Vishay
is well positioned to remain at the forefront of this trend, building on
the Infineon and General Semiconductor transactions. Adding General
Semiconductor's strong reputation and market presence to Vishay will create
an ideal platform for further growth, both organically and through
acquisition, in the semiconductor component market."

     Ronald A. Ostertag, Chairman and CEO of General Semiconductor, who
will join the Vishay Board of Directors upon closing, said, "This is a
great transaction for General Semiconductor, with a substantial upfront
premium and opportunities for shareholders, customers and many of our
employees to participate in the significant upside we see in the combined
company. We're delighted to have found a partner who shares our strategic
view, will diversify our product offerings, and has the financial strength
to accelerate development of our new power management products,
particularly in the MOSFET area. We will come out of this transaction a
much stronger company, now able to capitalize on the current difficult
environment and position ourselves for significant growth in the future."

     The transaction is subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals and
other customary closing conditions. It is expected to close in the fourth
quarter of this year.

     Vishay, a Fortune 1,000 Company with year 2000 sales of $2.5 billion,
is the largest U.S. and European manufacturer of passive electronic
components (resistors, capacitors, inductors) and a major producer of
discrete semiconductors (diodes, optoelectronics, transistors), IrDCs
(infrared communication devices), and power and analog switching integrated
circuits. The Company's components can be found in products manufactured in
a very broad range of industries worldwide. With headquarters in Malvern,
Pennsylvania, Vishay employs over 18,000 people in 66 plants in the U.S.,
Mexico, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, the Czech
Republic, Hungary, Israel, Taiwan, China and the Philippines. Vishay can be
found on the Internet at http://www.vishay.com.

     General Semiconductor, Inc. is a leader in the design, manufacture and
distribution of semiconductors serving the power management market. The
Company provides customers with a broad array of products including
rectifiers, transient voltage suppressors, small-signal transistors,
diodes, MOSFETs and Analog ICs. Its global customer base includes original
equipment manufacturers, electronic distributors and contract equipment
manufacturers. Key market segments for its products include automotive,
computer, consumer and telecommunications.

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current
expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future
events. These statements and all other statements that are not historical
facts are subject to factors and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking
statements. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of future performance
and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of
which are outside the control of General Semiconductor and Vishay. The
forward-looking statements in this release address a variety of subjects
including, for example, the expected closing of the acquisition and the
potential benefits of the acquisition. The following factors, among others,
could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in
these forward-looking statements: the integration of Vishay's and General
Semiconductor's business; costs associated with the acquisition; the
successful completion of the acquisition; including applicable regulatory
requirements relating to the transaction; increased competition and
technological changes in the industries in which Vishay and General
Semiconductor operate. For a detailed discussion of these and other
cautionary statements, please refer to General Semiconductor's and Vishay's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT

In connection with the proposed merger, Vishay and General Semiconductor
will file a joint proxy statement/prospectus with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE
JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE, BECAUSE IT WILL
CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders may obtain a
free copy of the joint proxy statement/prospectus (when available) and
other documents filed by Vishay and General Semiconductor with the
Commission at the Commission's web site at http://www.sec.gov. Free copies
of the joint proxy statement/prospectus, once available, and each company's
other filings with the Commission may also be obtained from the respective
companies. Free copies of Vishay's filings may be obtained by directing a
request to Vishay Investor Relations at (610) 644-1300. Free copies of
General Semiconductor's filings may be obtained by directing a request to
General Semiconductor, Investor Relations at (631) 847-3000.

PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION

Vishay, General Semiconductor and certain of their respective directors,
executive officers and other members of their management and employees may
be considered to be soliciting proxies from their respective stockholders
in favor of the merger. Information concerning persons who may be
considered participants in the solicitation of Vishay's stockholders under
the rules of the Commission is set forth in the Proxy Statement for the
2001 Annual Meeting of Vishay Stockholders filed by Vishay with the
Commission on April 23, 2001, and information concerning persons who may be
considered participants in the solicitation of General Semiconductor's
stockholders under the rules of the Commission is set forth in the Proxy
Statement for the 2001 Annual Meeting of General Semiconductor Stockholders
filed by General Semiconductor with the Commission on March 16, 2001.

                                   # # #
CONTACTS:

VISHAY INTERTECHNOLOGY
Richard N. Grubb
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (610) 644-1300

GENERAL SEMICONDUCTOR
George Sard/David Reno/Jonas Leddington
Citigate Sard Verbinnen
Phone: (212) 687-8080