French Premier Jacques Chirac denounced today economic embargoes and boycotts based on racial or religious considerations as “contrary to our tradition and our idea of democracy.” Chirac, who was referring to the Arab boycott of Jewish-owned banks in France, made his views known in a letter to Jean Rosenthal, president of the Representative Council of French Jews (CRIF). The Premier said in his letter that the government has “thoroughly studied” the reports dealing with the Arab boycott and wanted “to assure you that racial, religious and ethnic considerations in economic and social relations are contrary to France’s traditions.”
CRIF circles welcomed the letter recalling that Chirac’s official reaction (Feb. 13, 1975) was to say that the matter “should be settled between the various banks” and that the French government “has no role to play in this matter.” It was a result of this statement that Rosenthal had written Chirac asking him to clearly state his position, CRIF sources added that Rosonthal also met last week with the French Minister for Commerce and Industry. Michel D. Ornano, who also said that France is opposed to any economic embargoes or boycotts based on religious considerations.
PROMISES, BUT NO ACTION
In spite of these promises the French government has not yet taken any concrete measures to try and prevent the Arab banks from imposing religious discriminatory measures in their economic transactions, Jewish financial sources say that no special legislation dealing with this issue has been prepared and that no plans about such legislation are known. These sources say they believe the government has privately asked the Arab states to “tone down” their boycott in view of the close Franco-Arab ties.
Other unconfirmed reports say that a number of non-Jewish banks have asked Jewish-owned banks to privately join in underwriting loans from which they have been barred by Arab controlled banks, Should this be the case, the Jewish sources say, it would not be a solution to the problem since it would consist of a private arrangement between banks to stem the actual boycott. What is needed, these sources say, is a government effort to stop the boycott and a show of solidarity by the various banks in openly refusing to give in to Arab demands.
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