The Italian Government has forced the Syrian consulate in Milan to end its discrimination against Italian firms owned by Jews, it was revealed here today in a letter from the Italian Foreign Ministry to the Union of Italian Jewish Communities.
The Union had protested to the government that the Syrian consulate refused to grant import permits to an Italian firm which wished to export goods to Syria, on the grounds that the owner had not complied with its demand that his baptismal certificate be attached to the bills of lading. The Union had pointed out to the government that such action violated the Italian Constitution’s guarantees against racial and religious discrimination.
When the Italian Government entered the picture; the Syrian consulate reversed its stand, asserting that the entire matter had resulted from a “misunderstanding.” A similar situation was precipitated last year by the Saudi Arabians and was handled similarly, with identical results.
The Foreign Ministry’s letter to the Union, revealing the government’s action, added: “The Foreign Ministry will follow closely similar questions in the future, with the view of defending the interests of Italian citizens, according to the Constitution, against racial and religious discrimination even if the action proves detrimental to Italy’s commercial relations with foreign countries.”
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