Carter Hailed for Endorsing an Agreement on Anti-boycott Measure

President Carter’s statement yesterday endorsing an agreement on amendments to the Senate anti-boycott bill between the Business Roundtable and three national Jewish organizations was hailed by the Jewish groups as underscoring a “broad national consensus in support of effective anti-boycott legislation.”

In a joint statement, the American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress and Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith thanked the President for his “strong support” of the legislation, expressed appreciation to the Senate and House Committees for working out its provisions and looked forward to final Senate action “as soon as possible.”

The agreement reached by the three Jewish groups with the Business Roundtable “reflects the understanding by all those most directly concerned with the boycott of the importance of protecting the American people and American business from the invidious effects of the Arab boycott,” the statement said.

“We are grateful to the President for his strong support of anti-boycott legislation and his pledge to sign it. We appreciate the efforts of the Senate and House Committees in working out the provisions for such legislation. Following the overwhelming supportive vote in the House of Representatives, we look forward to final Senate action as soon as possible.

“We believe that proper enforcement of this legislation, upon its passage, will require specific regulations to discourage any attempt at avoiding the clear intent of the law and the principles it embodies–principles that condemn the boycott as a violation of the American commitment to freedom of trade and freedom from discrimination.”

The Business Roundtable, which consists of about 150 major American corporation, worked out the agreement in negotiations with the AJ Committee, AJ Congress and the ADL over a period of several months. The three Jewish agencies are not part of the Business Roundtable.