Rep. Alfred Santangelo, New York Democrat, today asked Attorney General Robert Kennedy and the State Department to rule on whether Federal authorities under existing interstate and foreign commerce statutes and Government anti-bias laws could delete from invitations to submit bids those firms that discriminate against the right of free commerce with Israel.
Rep. Santangelo pointed out that the Government in effect “permits companies producing goods in America to deny these American-made products to our friend and ally, Israel.” He charged that the Department of Defense with hundreds of bases in the United States and around the world does business with companies that practice a discriminatory selling policy.
“Other federal agencies within the Department of Justice itself, the Federal institutions within the Bureau of Prisons, hospitals under the Veterans Administration, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare permit products of these prejudiced companies to be merchandized in their facilities”, he continued. “The Federal maritime commission extends benefits to these firms under our American Merchant Marine steamship subsidy arrangements, and even under our foreign aid program, these companies prosper.”
If the Attorney General’s interpretations find that the State Department and Federal agencies do not have effective powers to order a ban on companies discriminating against Israel or other democratic countries, recommended legislation should be forthcoming, he urged.
“Our action should set a standard of morality for businessmen who seem to be more interested in the crass dollar than in maintaining friendship of democratic nations, the Congressman said. He explained that this stand was an outgrowth of complaints charging that Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. of Louisville, Ky., and the British-American Tobacco Co., Ltd. “are involved in intricate international tactics which ban major cigarette brand shipments to Israel in order to hold the Arab market.”
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