BDS, 1956: Arab firms tried to boycott "Jewish businesses" worldwide

Today's BDS movement is a direct descendant of the Arab boycott of the 1950s and 60s against Israel.

Then, as now, the boycott isn't against Israel, but Jews. No boycott list today includes Israeli Arab companies but only Jewish owned businesses in Israel.

The Arab League in 1956 was a bit cruder. They had an explicit policy of not doing business with any companies with Jews in major roles.

This is from the same Congressional Record I quoted from yesterday.

The American Jewish Congress has in its possession correspondence from Arab firms located In Saudi Arabia, canceling contracts with American Jewish businesses because of a directive promulgated by the Saudi Arabian Chamber of Commerce, but unquestionably inspired by the Saudi Arabian Government, instructing Saudi Arabian firms to discontinue all relations with businesses abroad owned or controlled by Jews or that employ Jews. These letters state that any contract negotiated in violation of this directive will be subject to summary cancellation and that any  merchandise imported into Saudi Arabla from firms employing Jews abroad will run the risk of confiscation. The Saudi Arabian Government evidently requires its domestic import companies to obtain affirmative and positive assurances that their business associates abroad are free of all Jewish connections,

The nature of the discrimination is clearly reflected in the following excerpts from letters in our files received by American firms owned by Jews from their Saudi Arabian customers

January 3. 1952:

“We very much regret to inform you that our Government has duly published a notice announcing that any importers of Saudi Arabia must not be permitted to import the goods, any kind of goods, from any Jewish firms of the world.

“Further, they have listed your name as being  a Jewish firm, as these steps are taken suddenly against you, we are obliged to cable you to stop the shipments of our orders until we write you.

“However, we are obliged to ask you to let us have full particulars as to what faith your firm is belong, to Jewish or Christian? And until we have full particulars from you, we are obliged to stop our business with you.”

October 1, 1953:

“In connection with our request for not effecting the shipment of our order by any steamer which belongs to any Jewish steamship company. This is in compliance of our Government's regulation announced  recently, further this ordinance warns that any shipment by such steamers will not be
allowed to enter Saudi Arabia.”

September 17, 1953:

“We have also to inform you that you are well aware we are quite prohibited to import any goods manufactured in any Jew factories, Now our Government has issued a new regulation warning all the importers that no goods may be brought by the steamers belonging to Jew steamship company. You are kindly requested to take this matter into consideration in order to avoid any sortof trouble arising by doing so.”

B. Boycotts by other Arab countries

Although the boycott carried out by Saudi Arabia has received the greatest attention in this country there are clear indications that other members of the Arab League have carried on an identical policy of barring Jews from international trade. The following excerpts from a letter to the chairman of the
Board of Directors of Verkoopkantoor Van der Heem N. V., The Hague, Holland, on November 13, 1955, indicates the firm intenttion of all members of the Arab League to make the boycott of Jews universal:

“As you are aware the Arab countries are in a state of war with Israel and for this reason we are making an economical siege around that Israel. This siege is administered by a special control and investigation office with members of all the Arab states.

“An officer in said office visited us today and requested that following information be supplied about your company:

Do you have any Jewish employees in your company. if yes how many and what are
the positions held by them.

 Are there any Jews in your Board of Directors as members?

Is any of your managers or branch managers a Jew, if yea please give name of the department headed by such a man.

Is any of the persons authorized to sign on behalf of your company a Jew.

What ts the number of Jewish laborers in your factories and offices.

In a letter quoted below from the Assistant Secretary of State in 1953, the State Department acknowledged that there has been from time to time a blacklisting of American Jewish firms by the Lebanese Government. American newspapers report simlar experiences by American Jewish businesses throughout the world In dealing with member states of the Arab League (New York Herald Tribune, February 12, 1956). The boycott now suffered by American Jewish firms is a vital part of the International plan of the Arab League to deny Jewish businesses access to principal markets.

Nowadays, the Israel haters like to boycott "Zionist" businesses - to say "Jewish" is too crude. But there is a direct line from the Arab boycott to today's BDS - just because the messaging is more sophisticated doesn't mean the goals and bigotry aren't the same.

There is more from that same article that highlights some American history that has been all but forgotten. I hope to present that soon.

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