The former West German Ambassador to Israel, Klaus Schuetz, has called on the Bonn government to enact a law against the Arab boycott of firms dealing with Israel. In a letter to the chairman of the three parliamentary factions in the Bundestag, Schuetz called their attention to the recent decision by the French government to enforce a law against the Arab boycott and said that this should serve as an example to German lawmakers.
The former envoy, who is now director of the government-operated radio station, Deutsche Welle, rejected the popular argument here that a legal move against the boycott would be counterproductive and possibly inimical to German interests. He said that in view of Germany’s close political ties with France and the membership of both countries in the European Economic Community (EEC), the arguments against a legislative ban has lost whatever weight it had in the past.
Schuetz said he wants a law enacted which would make it illegal for German firms to sign contracts with Arab countries that contain any restrictive clauses, including what is usually referred to as a boycott clause. This clause often consists of a written commitment that the German firm seeking to do business with an Arab country is not involved in any economic contacts with Israel, either directly or indirectly.
German officials said in the past that a discreet approach to the problem was much more effective than open declarations. Observers here do not see any signs that this stance is about to change. They say that any initiative in dealing with the problem through new legislation could create enormous difficulties for Chancellor Helmut Schmidt’s pro-Arab Middle East policy.
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