The Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court was expected to rule soon on an appeal from a lower court ruling ordering the Arabian-American Oil Company ARAMCO to halt anti-Jewish policies in its hiring practices.
Arguments were completed yesterday before the Appellate Division in which the charge was made that the oil company used questionnaires that “would make the Nuremberg laws look-alike a Boy Scout Manual” to locate and weed out Jewish employment applicants.
The charge was made by Shad Polier, representing the American Jewish Congress, which has been carrying on a legal battle against the oil company for ten years. Chester Bordeau, counsel for the oil firm, did not deny that ARAMCO rejected Jewish applicants for employment. He contended that Jewishness was “a bona fide disqualification” for employment under the New York State law against job discrimination because Saudi Arabia, where ARAMCO has its field operations, will not admit Jews.
The hearing yesterday was on an appeal by ARAMCO from a ruling last July 15 by Supreme Court Justice Henry Epstein that ARAMCO hiring policies violated the state anti-discrimination law. The five-man court accepted briefs from both sides and indicated it would give its finding later.
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