The Egyptian passenger-cargo ship Cleopatra, which has been picketed at an East River dock here since last week by members of the Seafarers’ International Union and the International Longshoremen’s Association, remained idle for the sixth day today as the picketing continued.
Legal action was pending in the United States District Court here as a result of an effort by the Khedivial Mail Line of Alexandria, an Egyptian shipping line, to restrain the picketing. Both unions announced they are boycotting the ship in retaliation against the Arab blacklisting of American ships which trade with Israel or stop in Israeli ports.
Federal Judge Edward Weinfeld rejected the request of the Khedivial Mail Line for a temporary restraining order against the picketing of the Cleopatra in advance of a full hearing. A hearing on the ship’s company’s motion for a preliminary injunction against the picketing will be held in Federal Court tomorrow.
Meanwhile, it was disclosed that the shipping company has brought a lawsuit against the two unions engaged in the picketing. Louis Waldman, counsel for the ILA, in announcing that Capt. William V. Bradley, president of the ILA, has instructed him to resist the lawsuit “to the utmost.” said: “It seems ironical that those who are carrying on and profiting from an officially decreed boycott against an entire nation and anyone dealing with that nation should bring an action complaining that they are the victims of a boycott.”
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.