Jewish Groups Denounce Boycott of Israel by Japanese Enterprises

The American Zionist Federation called on its members and on all Americans today to protest the alleged boycott of Israel by three major Japanese corporations. The enterprises cited in a resolution adopted by the AZF executive committee were Japan Airlines. Toyota and Nissan (Datsun). The latter two firms produce motor cars marketed in the United States. The three firms were charged with rejecting normal trade relations with Israel under pressure from the Arab League which blacklists all firms doing business with Israel. The AZF resolution said “We cannot allow these Japanese corporations to become accomplices in this attempt to carry the Middle East war into the realm of international trade.”

In a related action, the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith urged the United States Government not to grant Japan Airlines additional landing rights in this country as long as it continued its participation in the Arab boycott. Arnold Forster, the ADL’s general counsel, said that “to ignore JAL’s intransigent stand against Israel would be self-defeating in the light of American foreign policy interests and American opposition to boycotts against friendly states.” He said the JAL has consistently refused to agree to a civil air treaty or mutual landing arrangements with Israel. Forster observed that the U.S. and Japan concluded agreements in 1969 which granted Japan major new routes between that country and New York and between Japan. Guam and Saipan. In addition, Japan Airlines has access to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu and Okinawa and is now pressing for landing rights at Chicago. To grant any additional routes to JAL “would be giving tacit support of the Japanese boycott against Israel,” Forster said. According to Forster, JAL cannot be separated from the Japanese Government because of the latter’s controlling interest in the airline.