The representative of Israel’s largest shipping company today accused one of Japan’s three major trading companies of discrimination against Israel flagships because of pressure from the Arab boycott office. Avner Manor, president of the American-Israeli Shipping Co., North American representatives of the Zim Lines of Haifa, charged that the MarubeniIida Co. of Japan refused to use ships flying the Israel flag despite a recent commitment promising free choice of flag.
Mr. Manor cited two problems of last month to back up his charge. One involved a 10,000 ton shipment of coal from Hampton Roads, Va., to Japan which was diverted from the Zim Lines’ cargo motor ship Beersheva after MarubeniIida cabled its American broker, “Sorry, cannot entertain Israeli flag.” The other concerned a small parcel of raw silk loaded aboard the Beersheva’s sister-ship, m/v Deganya, for shipment to Kobe but later removed from the vessel on orders from MarubeniIida’s bank. “Thus, one of Japan’s giant firms continues to be pushed about by intimidation of the Arab boycott officials,” Mr. Manor said. “Our company,” he went on, “considers this a serious infraction of the traditional friendship and liaison that has existed between the nations and industries of Israel and Japan.”
The Zim Lines’ cargo service between North American ports and Japan, known as the Pacific Star Line, was established in 1961. Mr. Manor said the company intended “to make a forceful protest to the Japanese Government.”
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