Jal Denies Boycotting Israel; ADL General Counsel Terms This ‘flat Lie’

Japan Air Lines has again denied participating in a boycott of Israel–and the Conference of President of Major American Jewish Organizations has again rejected its argument. Responding to a newspaper advertisement by the Conference reiterating the boycott charges. JAL has declared in a statement that “we emphatically deny that we are now or ever have been engaged in such a boycott.” The statement said JAL was removed from politics and was “influenced by sound business practices” only. It noted that it “in fact enjoys normal airline relations with E1 A1 Israel Airlines.” Arnold Forster, general counsel to the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith and head of the Conference of Presidents’ anti-boycott committee, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the JAL statement was “simply a flat lie.” Forster said JAL had scheduled and cancelled appointments with E1 A1 without explanation “at least five times” over the past three years. “It is clear that these guys are doing a doubletalk act,” asserted Forster. “Why don’t they meet face to face with E1 A1? The truth is that JAL is boycotting Israel.” In reply to this, a JAL spokesman told the JTA that “no official meetings” had ever been set, and that in any case it was the Japanese government and not JAL that would take part in such meetings. JAL has explained, he said, that it has a “full calendar” until next August–that is, its flight schedules. Including stops in Arab countries, are unchangeable until then. “It’s up to E1 A1 to make the move,” he concluded.