Exhibit 99.1

                                  NEWS RELEASE


                              Contact:   Richard N. Grubb,
                                         Executive Vice President and
                                         Chief Financial Officer or
                                         Robert A. Freece, Senior Vice President

                                         610/644-1300

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VISHAY COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF GENERAL SEMICONDUCTOR;
BECOMES #2 MANUFACTURER OF DISCRETE SEMICONDUCTOR WORLDWIDE,
#1 IN DIODES & #1 IN RECTIFIERS

MALVERN, PENNSYLVANIA, - November 2, 2001 - Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.
(NYSE:VSH) announced today that it had completed the acquisition of General
Semiconductor, Inc. (NYSE:SEM) following approval of the transaction and related
matters by stockholders of the two companies at meetings held earlier today.

Stockholders of General Semiconductor are receiving 0.563 of a share of Vishay's
common stock for each General Semiconductor share, or a value of $10.74 per
General Semiconductor share based on Vishay's November 1 closing price on the
New York Stock Exchange of $19.08 per share.

Commenting on the transaction, Dr. Felix Zandman, Vishay's Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer, remarked: "We are very pleased to complete the acquisition of
General Semiconductor and to welcome General Semiconductor stockholders as new
stockholders of Vishay. The transaction further secures our position as one of
the premier manufacturers and suppliers of discrete electronic components
worldwide. With this acquisition, Vishay becomes the #2 manufacturer of discrete
semiconductors worldwide and the #1 manufacturer of diodes and rectifiers
worldwide. The acquisition also will reinforce Vishay's position in small signal
transistors, power metal oxide-semiconductor field effect-transistors (MOSFETs)
and power integrated circuits (ICs)."

Dr. Zandman continued, "The combination of our two companies is expected to open
up new opportunities for product innovation and development, promote important
efficiencies and lay the foundations for future growth. Especially in these
uncertain times, we believe that the strengths and synergies of the combined
company will preserve and enhance value for all Vishay stockholders.

General Semiconductor is a leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of
semiconductors serving the power management market. General Semiconductor
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. General Semiconductor had
year 2000  sales of $494  million  split 42% in Asia,  30% in Europe  and 28% in
North America.

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). Vishay is the #2 manufacturer of discrete
semiconductors worldwide and the #1 manufacturer of diodes and rectifiers
worldwide. Vishay is also the world's largest manufacturer of infrared
communication devices (IRDCs), and has a leading position in power and analog
switching circuits. Vishay's components can be found in products manufactured in
a very broad range of industries worldwide. With headquarters in Malvern,
Pennsylvania, Vishay employs over 17,000 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.

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current
expectations or beliefs, as well as 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 Vishay. The
forward-looking statements in this release address the potential benefits of the
acquisition of General Semiconductor. The following factors, among others, could
cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these
forward-looking statements: the timing and success of integrating Vishay's and
General Semiconductor's businesses; competition and technological changes in the
industries in which Vishay and General Semiconductor operate; and general
economic, business and political conditions. For a detailed discussion of these
and other factors likely to influence future results, please refer to Vishay and
General Semiconductor's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.