Israel – Arab Boycott Against Israel (1958)

Arab Boycott Against Israel and Affecting America (1958)

National Women’s League notes with grave concern the continued Arab interference with the free exercise of American enterprises which has extended to a systematic boycotting and blacklisting of firms owned by Jews or doing business in or with Israel.

The Arab League maintains a public blacklist of American and other companies that invest in Israel, maintain branches, assembly operations or distribution outlets in Israel, or that license patents for Israel’s use.

American vessels that stop at Israel ports are denied permission to make calls at Arab ports. American planes that land in Israel are forbidden to fly over Arab territories. No American is permitted to enter an Arab country from Israel except on official business.

The Arab League has circulated questionnaires to Chambers of Commerce and individual companies throughout the world inquiring whether specified companies are controlled by or employ Jews.

Holland, France and Switzerland have denounced the Arab boycott and have instructed their nationals not to answer such questionnaires. West Germany has refused to yield to Arab threats to cease business with Israel.

We deplore the fact that our own government has, thus far taken no public stand against the boycott, which is international intimidation thriving on appeasement and capitulation.

We therefore urge our government to resist vigorously this impairment by Arab nations of the rights and privileges of American citizenship.

We call upon our affiliated Sisterhoods to engage in educational activities to alert the Jewish and the general community to the evils of the Arab boycott.