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 -