Israel Seeks Change in U.S. Navy Regulations Aiding Arab Boycott

Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel’s Foreign Minister, said today in the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, that Israel was doing its best to obtain a change in present United States Navy regulations which in effect give United States support to the Arab League boycott against Israel.

Replying to a question from Israel Bar Yehuda of the left-wing Mapam, she said the Foreign Ministry has been aware of the U.S. Navy arrangement, now in effect for nearly two years, which forecloses bidding on lucrative oil cargo contracts for the Navy by American flagships which have done business with Israel.

Mrs. Meir denied, in replying to a General Zionist query, that there were any special discriminatory restrictions by West German authorities on giving entry visas to Israelis. There had been press reports that West German consulates created difficulties in granting visas to Israelis and that this was being condoned by the Israel Mission in West Germany on the promise that Israel was not interested in seeing too many Israelis going to West Germany.

Mrs. Meir said Israelis were getting West German visas like all other nationals. She said that two months ago, special arrangements had been reached with West Germany for stopover visas to Israel officials, students, scientists and businessmen, as well as practically automatic transit visas permitting a seven-day stay in West Germany.

The Foreign Minister denounced Morocco’s suspension of postal relations with Israel as an “inhumane act violating Article 12 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.” Commenting that apparently adherence to the Arab League was more important to Morocco than adherence to the UN declaration, Mrs. Meir said that efforts were being made to find some way to restore correspondence channels between Israelis and their families in Morocco.