The Israel Foreign Ministry declined comment today on press reports that United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold had intervened in the ban by Swedish dock workers against United Arab Republic ships which the Swedish Transport Workers Federation called off yesterday.
It was understood that the Foreign Ministry was awaiting an authoritative report from the Israel Embassy in Stockholm on the ending of the anti-UAR boycott which was decided on recommendation of the Scandinavian Transport Workers Federation.
The press drumfire of criticism of the reported intervention was led by Davar, official organ of the Histadrut, the Israel Federation of Labor. Davar asserted that the reported intervention might have been “somewhat justified if the Secretary General has some other plan against the Egyptians boycott of Israel ships and foods or could promise that his methods could stop the Egyptians running amok.”
Davar added, however, that “it is not necessary to be a born skeptic to doubt the existence of such a plan. If this is Hammarskjold’s doctrine on relations between people, we don’t know what he is doing in the United Nations.” Hatzofe, the organ of the religious parties, contrasted Mr. Hammarskjold’s “inactivity” in ending the Suez Canal blockade against Israel with “the speed and effectiveness with which he persuaded the Swedish port workers to cancel their boycott.”
Some sources here pointed out that the calling off of the Swedish workers boycott might not have been due to any initiative by the Secretary General. It was suggested that in reply to questions by the Scandinavian federation about Arab interference with Scandinavian shipping, Mr. Hammarskjold might have given reassurance that he hoped to end the Arab blockade. It was suggested, therefore, that while the ending of the Swedish boycott might have been influenced by Hammarskjold’s presumed reply, the decision might have been entirely that of the union.
(In New York, the picketing of the Egyptian ship Cleopatra by the Seafarers’ International Union continued today. Paul Hall, the union’s president, in a cable to President Nasser of the United Arab Republic, denied that the picketing was a result of “so-called Zionist pressure.” He said the action of his union was based on Cairo’s denial of freedom of the seas to many American ships).
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
