Bill Would Bar Pentagon Contracts to Foreign Firms Supporting Boycott

The American Jewish Congress is urging a Senate-House conference committee to adopt an amendment to the defense appropriations bill denying military contracts to foreign companies that adhere to the Arab League boycott against Israel.

The amendment, introduced by Sen. Timothy Wirth (D-Colo.), was adopted Sept. 26 by the Senate, which voted 99-0. The House bill approving Defense Department appropriations for 1992 did not contain the provision. The conference committee must now resolve the differences.

In a letter to the members of the committee, AJCongress points out that the provision would “eliminate or reduce the advantage foreign firms now enjoy over their American competitors subject to the U.S. boycott laws and would weaken the impact of the odious boycott law.”

The letter was signed by Will Maslow, AJCongress general counsel and editor of its monthly newsletter “Boycott Report,” and Mark Pelavin, the organization’s Washington representative.

Wirth said that while the Arab primary and secondary boycotts “have been a shackle on the Israeli economy,” the secondary boycott also has meant economic losses for American firms that trade with Israel.

“The very government that enforces anti-boycott legislation for its own American companies should not be in the business of rewarding foreign companies that comply with the boycott by allowing them to receive government contracts,” the senator said.

The Wirth amendment would deny Pentagon contracts over $25,000 to foreign firms complying with the secondary boycott of Israel. The firms would have to certify that they are not complying with the boycott when bidding for contracts.

The amendment was co-sponsored by Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Harris Wofford (D-Pa.), Paul Simon (D-I11.), Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Connie Mack (R-Fla.).