The National Maritime Union reported today that the Arab seamen’s union had urged the International Transport Workers Federation to drop its fight against Arab blockade of Israeli shipping in the Suez Canal on grounds that this was a “political question” to be dealt with by the United Nations.
The American maritime union said that the proposal was made in a letter to the ITF–of which the National Maritime Union is an affiliate–from Captain Hassan Afifi, president of the Arab Syndicate of Merchant Marine Officers and Seamen. The letter contained assurances that “freedom of navigation in the Suez Canal is fully guaranteed” and that “no discrimination on the basis of religion or race is practiced against seafarers” in the United Arab Republic.
The letter was considered to be a stronger commitment than Arab representatives have previously been willing to give on the question of security of American seamen in Arab ports. However, when Captain Afifi was asked as to whether the assurances in the letter included Israeli ships and seamen, he replied: “It must be understood that a state of war exists between the United Arab Republic and Israel.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
