European Jewish groups, riding the prevailing pro-Israel mood of the Persian Gulf war’s aftermath, have launched a concerted effort against the Arab boycott of Israel and of companies which do business with the Jewish state.
One target is the Brussels-based European Community, which was urged this week to promote anti-boycott legislation and to coordinate such legislation by its 12 member states.
The appeal was made at a free-trade seminar organized here by the recently formed European Jewish Information Center.
The Jewish center also called on Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states that adhere to the Arab League boycott of Israel to “cease and desist from these discriminatory practices.”
“As an initial confidence-building measure, these states should abandon immediately the trade restriction practices against companies that trade with boycotted firms,” according to a resolution put out by the Jewish center.
The center directed its attention as well to Japan, Korea, Taiwan and several other countries that diligently observe the Arab boycott.
“They should be made aware of the dangers of restrictive trade practices, both to the countries against whom they are applied and the countries that apply them,” the resolution said.
It pointed out that the enactment of anti-boycott laws in the United States several years ago did not harm U.S. trade with the Arab states. Under those laws, firms have been fined for cooperating with the boycott.
EMERGING AS PRO-ISRAEL LOBBY
The seminar expressed satisfaction with the German government’s recently expressed intention to take legal measures against boycott practices and called for similar action by other European countries.
Benjamin Gill, director of the new center, said anti-boycott initiatives are expected to be adopted by the European Parliament, the E.C. legislative body based in Strasbourg, France.
Several members of the Parliament attended the seminar, including Derek Prag, a British Conservative, and Marijke van Hemeldonck of Belgium, a Socialist.
Anne-Marie Lizin, the Belgian secretary of state in charge of coordinating the country’s integration into the single European entity that will come into being in 1992, was also present, as were representatives from the United States and Israel.
The seminar decided to establish a database to gather and disseminate information about Arab boycott activities and their influence on national and multinational firms.
The center has emerged as a pro-Israel lobby in Europe. It is chaired by Jacques Graubart of Belgium.
Its governing board includes Jean Kahn, president of CRIF, the representative body of French Jewish organizations, and Lord Weidenfeld of Britain.
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