8 Friday, July 30, 1976
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
AJCongress Says 2 NY Banks.
Are 'Enforcing ' Arab Boycott
NEW YORK (JTA) — 12, 1975 ,enjoining banks 1975.
The American Jewish from participating "even
At that time, Administ-
Congress has filed a corn- passively, in efforts by ration witnesses indicated
plaint with the New York foreign natio&ials to effect that Executive branch
State Division of Human boycotts against other agencies and their con-
Rights, charging the foreign countries friendly tractors had declined to
Morgan Guaranty Trust to the United States, par- assign Jewish workers to
Co. of New York and titularly where such Arab nations or had failed
Citibank with aiding the boycott efforts may cause to seek reversal of Arab
Arab boycott in violation discrimination against refusals to issue visas to
of the state's Lisa Law United States citizens or Jewish employes of the
which makes it illegal to business . . ." federal government.
cooperate in a boycott
In Washington, Rep.
The hearings also dealt
based on race, 'color, Jack Brooks • (D.Tex), with
discrimination
creed, national origin or chairman of the House against women, Blacks
sex.
Government Operations and other minorities by
The two banks were Committee, announced host countries.
charged specifically in hearings by the Govern-
"Mr. Ford's directive,"
the complaint with ac- ment Information and said Ms. Abzug "appa-
cepting letters of credit Individual Rights Sub- rently does no more than
containing requirements committee headed by restate the inadequate
for compliance with the Rep. Bella S. Abzug (D.- policy that we were told
Arab boycott and refus- NY) on the Ford Ad- existed back in April,
ing to make payment ministration's response namely that the agencies
against the letters of cre- to discrimination by Arab don't discriminate as a
dit unless certification of countries against Jewish matter of policy and that
boycott compliance was employes of the federal if a host country refuses a
furnished.
government and its con- visa on the basis of race,
Louis Yavner, a na- tractors. color, religion, sex or age,
tional vice president of
Representatives of the all the State Department
the AJCongress who an- State Department, the will do is to 'take approp-
nounced the action said Civil Service Commission riate action through dip-
"By refusing to make and Jewish organizations lomatic channels.' "
payments against letters are expected to testify.
Meanwhile, the Arab
of credit issued by their
Ford issued a directive Boycott Office in Damas-
Arab customers unless Nov. 20, 1975 to all federal cus has announced that
American suppliers cer- departments and agen- any company that aids
tify they have complied cies, in response to a Israel in prospecting for
with the boycott these series of hearings on this oil in the Sinai Desert will
banks serve as 'enforcers' subject held by the Abzug be banned throughout
of the Arab boycott. The subcommittee in April the Arab world.
result is the importation
of Arab bigotry into
American society and the McGovern Denounces Article
distortion of American
Implying Bribery by Arabs
business practices."
He said that "By giving
the aura of business re- , WASHINGTON (JTA) —
spectability to Arab dis- Sen. George McGovern (D-
crimination on the basis of SD) has denounced a report
national origin, Citibank in the Washington Post
and Morgan Guaranty which, he said, implied that
Trust are opening the door "my public position on the
to wider subordination of state of Israel is influenced
American business to by the fact that a piece of
Arab prejudice, thus property I own has been
threatening the integrity rented to the Syrian Am-
of all groups in American bassador."
life."
The implication was con-
In accusing Citibank tained in a recent story un-
and Morgan Guaranty der the by-line of Eugene L.
Trust of implementing Meyer who noted that Mc-
the Arab boycott, the AJ-
Congress complaint Govern has been receiving
charges that before pay- rental income from Syrian
ing against letters of cre- Ambassador Sabaah Ka-
dit issued by their Arab bani since March, 1975 and
customers, the two banks "has come under increasing
require certification criticism from pro-Israel
that: the goods shipped groups here for what they
GEORGE McGOVERN
are not produced by and consider stands more sym-
contain no parts pro- pathetic to the Arab cause ern's record on aid to Israel
duced by persons of Is- and critical of Israeli poli-
is "generally good," he has
raeli national origin, and cies."
"more often than others
neither the exporter,
McGovern, who has asked
. . . indicated some less
manufacturer or supplier the six-member non-par- than total support for the
of the goods shipped — tisan Senate Ethics Com-
Israeli position."
nor any subsidiary, af- mittee headed by Sen. How- current
Bookbinder said that he
filiate or branch — is on ard Cannon (D-Nev.) to
was "distressed over Mey-
any Arab blacklist.
determine whether he has
er's reckless stringing to-
Also, that the carrier of done "anything unethical or
the goods is not of Israeli improper," was vigorously gether of unrelated com-
ments to give the
origin and will not call at defended on the Senate floor
impression that I believe
Israeli ports or travel last week by two staunchly
Sen. McGovern's position on
through Israeli waters or pro-Israel Senators, Abra-
the Middle East may have
airspace; the carrier of ham Ribicoff (D-Conn.) and
been the result of the rental
the goods is not on any Hubert H. Humphrey (D-
of his house."
Arab blacklist; and that Minn.).
McGovern explained
the insurer of the goods
McGovern, who is chair-
for shipment is not on any man of the Senate Foreign that the property in ques-
tion was rented by his at-
Arab blacklist.
torneys.
Yavner quoted two Relations Committee's
separate statements Subcommittee on Near
He told the Senate last
made this year by rep- Eastern Affairs, called
week that while he does not
Meyer's
story
in
the
Post
resentatives of the banks
agree "down to the last de-
admitting to the charges "the crudest example of tail with every single posi-
with respect to their pro- yellow journalism that I
tion the Israeli government
cessing of letters of cre- have witnessed in many
has taken, I think it would
years."
dit.
be catastrophic if Israel's in-
The
story
quoted
Hyman
He also accused the
dependence, freedom or sur-
banks of violating a direc- Bookbinder, Washington
tive issued by the board of representative of the Ameri- vival was destroyed" and "I
am determined to do all in
governors of the Federal can Jewish Committee, as
my power to prevent that."
Reserve System on Dec. saying that while McGov-
When you vote Tuesday, August 3rd don't just judge
a good name, but name a good judge.
JUDGE JAMES
LARKSON
TO THE
OAKLAND COUNTY
CIRCUIT - COURT
"A 14tia
Wag"
• FORMER LEGISLATOR
• FORMER MAYOR OF SOUTHFIELD
Participated in the corner stone laying of
Cong. Shaarey Zedek, Cong. Bnai David and Yeshiva
Beth Yehudah)
VOTE
iiRKSON
TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1976 pd poi
adv