A new Israeli diplomatic move to prevent two British companies from ending their oil operations in this country was reported here today on the heels of a Foreign Ministry statement warning of a deterioration of Anglo-Israel trade if the oil companies pull out of Israel. The reported demarche, to the Netherlands Government, was based on the fact that nearly half of Shell Petroleum is Dutch-owned.
Moshe Leshem, Foreign Ministry spokesman, told a press conference that “it is hard to believe that Shell took this step without consultations with the British Government.” Foreign Ministry sources have charged the British Government with lending encouragement to the Arabs’ economic war against Israel by not opposing the Shell Company’s move. Mr. Leshem stressed that talks were still going on with the British with the object of either reversing Shell’s decision or working out an acceptable method of liquidation.
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