Will Israel Be
The Scapegoat
In Suez Canal
Crisis?
'Condoning a prejudice
is worse than the
prejudice itself'
THE JEWISH NEWS
A W eekly Review
Editorial, Page 4
of Jewish Events
Dr. Robert S.
deRopp's 'If 1
Forget Thee'
Dr. Tenenbaum's
'Race and Reich'
Joan Comay's
'Land of the Bible'
Book Reviews,
Pages 2 and 4
Michigan's Only English - Jewish Newspaper — incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle
VOLUME XXIX—No. 23
27
17100 W. 7 Mile Rd.—VE 8-9364---Detroit 35, August 10, 1956
$5.00 Per Year; Single Copy 15c
Democratic lank Asked to End
Arabs' Bias Against U. S. Jews
Direct JTA Teletype Wires to The Jewish News
Israel Studies Plan for
Construction of Canal
Or Pipeline to Red Sea
CHICAGO — Ten major national Jewish organizations Tuesday urged
the platform committee of the Democratic National Convention to adopt a
plan pledging action "to counter current discrimination against U.S. citizens
on the basis of their religion and to preserve the integrity of the United
States citizenship."
In supporting their statement, the 10 Organizations explained that their pro-
posed plank deals with "the widespread campaign by Arab League countries against
Jews in the United States—a campaign that is being acquiesced in and endorsed
by our own government."
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—Israeli plans for the construction of a
canal or a pipeline, in the wake of the seizure of the Suez Canal
Company by Egyptian strong man Gamal Abdel Nasser, were
indicated by Dr. Walter Eytan, Director General of the Foreign
Ministry, at a mass meeting here. He revealed that Israel is
studying- plans for either of two alternatives—a canal from
Elath, on the Red Sea, to Haifa, on the Mediterranean, or a
pipeline to link the cities.
Dr. Eytan stressed that the second plan was the more
realistic of the two, since it can be completed in less than a
year and would be considerably less expensive. He conceded
that there were economic and political difficulties in the way of
such 'a project. He noted among these problems the question
of who would carry out the work—foreign companies, Israel,
companies with foreign capital, or Israel companies.
(The blasting of a canal from the Gulf of Akaba across the
Negev to the Mediterranean was urged in Washington by
Congressman Celler.
(The plan for a canal through Israel territory as a drastic
step to overcome Egypt's intransigeance was urged on his radio
broadcast last Sunday by Drew Pearson).
They called for "an immediate end to the practice of screening United States troops and
pergonnel that are to be sent to foreign lands," on the basis of religion, a "firm statement of
government policy that violations of anti-discrimination laws are not justified by a desire to
yield to prejudices of foreign nations," and "an express anti-bias clause in all treaties and
executive agreements."
The 10 organizations who joined in submitting the plank are: American Jewish Congress,
Central Conference of American Rabbis, Jewish'Labor Committee, Jewish War Veterans of the
United States, Rabbinical Council of America, Rabbinical Assembly of America, Union of
American Hebrew Congregations, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, United Syna-
gogue of America, National Community Relations Advisory Council.
Appearing as their representatives before the platform committee of the convention were
Julian Freeman, of Indianapolis, Rabbi Israel Goldstein, of New York, and Rabbi Jacob J.
Weinstein, of Chicago.
In a prepared statement, they enumerated the following forms of discrimination:
1. Arab denial of entry or transit visas to American Jews; 2. Arab boycott of American Jew-
ish businesses; 3. Exclusion of American Jewish citizens from U. S. Government civilian and
military posts and from employment on U. S. defense contracts in Arab countries.
Negotiates Building Oil Pipeline to By-Pass Suez
"Not once in recent years has our Government offered any public protest," the statement
LONDON, (JTA)—Israel government representatives have
declared. "Encouraged by this seeming official casualness, if not indifference, Arab states con-
opened negotiations with British and American oil companies on
tinue to act virtually as they please in mistreatment of American citizens who are Jews. The
a plan to build an oil pipeline from Elath to Haifa to by-pass
apathy of our Government has served to increase and introduce anti-Semitism in new and
the Suez Canal.
unexpected quarters here and to down-grade the status of American citizenship."
The pipeline could be built in one year and would cost
The Jewish organizations said they are concerned about discriminatory practices of Arab
$30,000,000, the report said. It would be 16 inches in diameter
countries not only because of their direct effects on American citizens but also because of activ-
and would carry 4,000,000 tons of oil a year. The line would
ities of the U. S. Government in response thereto.
terminate at Haifa where the oil would be refined at refineries
"It is our Government that has been screening United States troops so as to exclude Jews
which now operate at far less than capacity because of the Arab
from assignment to our base -in Saudi Arabia. It is our Government that has pleaded for special
refusal to sell oil to Israel or to pipe it into Israel. The Israel
exceptions in state FEPC laws to allow American concerns to engage in otherwise illegal
plan is for tankers to unload in the Gulf of Akaba, at Elath.
employment discrimination against Jews. It is our Government that pays subsidies for ship-
It was indicated that the Foreign Office does not intend to
ment of wheat and other agricultural commodities to Arab countries, although American Jews
give any thought to the proposals for the digging of an alternate
are barred from such trade," the statement said.
canal or the construction of an oil pipeline across Israel.
It castigated as "a perversion of traditional and basic American doctrine" any concessions
But the influential weekly Economist calls on the govern-
at the expense of the integrity of the U. S. citizenship and as "a way of thinking that accepts
ment to consider an alternative channel to the Suez Canal and
subordination of rights of citizenship to expediency of international bargaining, and that regards
not to dismiss the idea as visionary.
legal incidents of citizenship as expendable items to be traded away."
Citing the action of President William Howard Taft in 1911
in abrogating the treaty with Russia because of Russian anti-
Semitism, the statement says: "When confronted with a threat
to the liberties of its citizens—indeed, when forced to choose
between continuing exactly the kind of anti-Semitism now
practiced by Arab states, and risking the possibility of economic
loss—the country has not wavered or equivocated in the past.
The claim of freedom has always been of greater force and
NEW YORK, (JTA)—The American Jewish Congress, in a complaint filed with the New
dignity than the claim of profit."
York State Commission Against Discrimination (SCAD) charged that the Arabian-American Oil
The Jewish groups quote with approval the unanimous res-
Company refuses to hire Jews for both its Saudi Arabian and New York operations. The oil
olution of the U.S. Senate on July 26 that distinctions among
company, ARAMCO, operates the American oil concession in Saudi Arabia.
U. S. citizens based on their religious affiliation are "incom-
Shad Polier, vice-president of the American Jewish Congress, who signed the complaint,
patible with relations that should exist among friendly nations,"
stated: "The refusal of ARAMCO to hire Jews for its overseas work has long been notorious.
and that "in all negotiations between the United States and any
Indeed, in a prior proceeding before SCAD in 1950, ARAMCO advised the State Commission
foreign state every reasonable effort should be made to mainain
that 'it had an understanding with the Saudi Arabian government to screen all prospective em-
this principle."
ployees for work in Arabia before they applied for Arabian visas, for the purpose of exluding
Additional Democratic Convention Reports and
persons of the Jewish faith to whom visas will not be granted.'
Text of Proposed Aid-to-Israel Plank on Page 28
"Perhaps the Saudi Arabian government will persist in its flagrant violation of the United
Nations Charter by its discriminatory anti-Jewish policies, but there is no reason to allow it
to export its anti-Semitism to American soil. Nor is the ARAMCO entitled to take advantage
of the incomparable procurement and hiring facilities of New York State unless it lives up to
the requirements of New York laws that forbid religious discritriination in hiring."
Mr. Polier revealed that in 1.950 when the issue • first arose before SCAD, the Political Ad-
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports from London that
visor for the Office of African and Near Eastern Affairs of the State Department urged SCAD
there is increased recognition of danger to Israel in Egypt's
not to have "anything interfere with the existing relationship between the Arabian govern .-
ment and the Arabian-American Oil Company" and that SCAD had accordingly held that
seizure of the Suez Canal, and that efforts continue to secure
religion was a "bona fide occupational qualification" for employment in Saudi Arabia.
defensive arms for the Israelis from Great Britain.
The American Jewish Congress leader declared: "We hope that SCAD will not again yield
Secretary of State Dulles and the British and French
to this type of pressure from the State- Department. Indeed in view of the unanimous adoption
Foreign Ministers are believed to have touched briefly upon
by the United States Senate on July 25, 1956, of Senate Resolution 323 in which it declared that
the Arab-Israel problem.
`any attempt by foreign nations to create religious distinctions among our citizens in the
Former Labor Prime Minister Lord Atlee, Lord Strabolgi
granting of personal or commercial access or any other rights otherwise available to United
and
Barnett Janner, M. P., pleaded for arms for Israel in the
States citizens generally is inconsistent with our principles,' it is hoped that the State Depart-
House
of Lords and in Commons.
ment will cease its interference in behalf of Saudi Arabia and ARAMCO."
It. is reported that Britain is not indifferent to Israel's
Mr. Polier pointed out also that the American Jewish Congress complaint charges ARAMCO
interests in freedom of passage through the Suez Canal,
with refusal to hire Jews even for its United States operations, a policy which cannot be de-
although Israel is not one of the 24 nations invited to the
fended by citing the visa requirements of Saudi Arabia.
London conference on the Canal. A report from Paris states
(ARAMCO offices are at 505 Park Avenue, New York. Its spokesman said this week, in
that Israel has asked to be invited to this conference.
denial of the Jewish Congress charges:
"The company does not discriminate against Jews in any of its operations, domestic or for-
A report that the Israel government has agreed to allow
eign. Any restrictions that may exist with regard to entry into Saudi Arabia are imposed by
Britain to use military bases in Israel was officially denied
the Saudi Arabian government and are entirely outside the company's control.")
in Jerusalem as "completely unfounded." .
The New York State Commission Against Discrimination will re-examine a 1950 ruling
The importance of "Britain's standing by its friends," was
in which it decided that the refusal to hire Jews for work in Saudi Arabia was not. discrimi-
stressed by Sir Knox Helm, former British Minister to Israel,
natory. The complaint then and now was lodged against the Arabian-American Oil Company.
addressing the Liberal Party's summer school at Cambridge.
Charles Abrams, SCAD chairman, who announced that he will re-open the case against
Sir Knox asserted that Britain and the United States "went a
ARAMCO, said that the re-examination of the 1950 ruling would be made because of the reso-
long way to building up Colonel Nasser."
lution adopted by the IL S. Senate.
(Earlier stories on Pages land
-
ARAMCO Charged With Prejudice Against
Jewish Employees; Accused of Transferring
Saudi Arabian Anti-Semitism to this Country
Increased Danger for Israel
Seen in Suez Canal Seizure
-