One of Britain’s industrial giants, Imperial Chemical Industries, has bowed to the Arab boycott of Israel by pledging not to purchase materials from Israel, it was revealed this week.
Imperial Chemical also advised its Jewish staff against traveling to Arab countries.
An internal memorandum from the company’s legal affairs department, addressed to executives in its paint manufacturing division, warned that despite the Middle East peace process, the company should assume that Arab boycott officials would be “as vigilant as ever.”
It stated that company rules for dealing with the boycott “include recent ICI undertakings to the Boycott Office not to support the Israeli war effort and not to import raw materials from Israel.”
The memo, a copy of which was obtained this week by the London Jewish Chronicle, said that any dealings with Israel should first be vetted by the company’s legal affairs department “to ensure that they comply with ICI policies and rules of the Arab boycott.”
The memo continued: “It is essential that ICI Paints legal affairs and African and Eastern region . . . should be informed at once of any communications regarding boycott matters, or if any situations arise which might put ICI’s business at risk.”
The document, issued in October, added that, although Jews, “except those allegedly associated with Zionism,” were not barred from visiting Arab countries, “we continue to recommend that Jewish members of ICI staff should avoid such visit.”
ICI spokesman John Edgar agreed that the memo — whose recipients were advised to retain it in a “safe but accessible place” — reflected the company’s attitude toward the boycott. “We have not been told of any change in this policy,” he said.
“As in any large organization we tend to find that people need reminding about a whole range of events that are going on in the world. This was a reminder and I have to admit, that is the way of the world,” Edgar said.
PARLIAMENT MEMBERS CRITICIZE COMPANY
The company’s policy drew criticism from Parliament members and anti-boycott campaigners. Tory Parliament Member David Sumberg said it was “terrible that one of Britain’s most prominent companies should succumb to trade discrimination and blackmail.”
He added: “I support legislation against the Arab boycott and I will push for it in parliament, although it is a pity that we are not able to get abandonment of the boycott by voluntary means. The government should do something now.”
Martin Savitt, chairman of the Britain-Israel Chamber of Commerce Boycott Committee , said the ICI memorandum illustrated international companies’ fear in the face of the embargo.
“It is no use the government telling Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council that they object to the boycott, without taking firm action. The policy of leaving this matter to the commercial judgment of business has put back the clock for free trade,” Savitt said.
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.
