U.S. Businessmen Discuss Saudi Arabian Boycott of Jewish Firms

Charges that Saudi Arabia had set up a system under which export concerns in the United States must certify as to whether they are “Jewish” or “Christian” were aired here yesterday at the monthly forum of the Foreign Credit Interchange Bureau. The bureaus members include major banking and commercial firms. The meeting heard that the certification procedure was being verified by checks made here by the Saudi Arabian Consulate.

A bureau member; who was not identified, in accordance with rules of the trade group designed to elicit the fullest exchange of trade and credit experience, said that Saudi Arabian customers had advised him that certification was necessary, and that lack of a certificate attesting that the supplier firm is not “Jewish,” would make it impossible to complete a sale. He complained that the criteria for determining “Jewishness” were unknown adding that compliance without a protest could not be made in any event.

The information offered at the meeting apparently confirmed the extension of the Saudi Arabian boycott of Israel to Jews in general. The U.S. Department of Commerce has stated in the past that it does not recognize the Arab League boycott of Israeli firms and firms doing business with Israel. Participants in yesterday’s discussion said that while the certification procedure was new, traders have become increasingly aware of the tightening of the boycott and the fact that it was not being confined to firms doing business with Israel. They indicated that the Saudi Arabians would probably label any firm owned or directed by a member of the Jewish faith as “Jewish”.