The Dutch Government has rejected an Israeli request that it intervene with the Royal Dutch Shell group to prevent withdrawal of the Shell Oil Company from Israel. A Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the Government could not exert influence on Royal Dutch Shell as it had no say in the affairs of that company which was a private commercial organization. The Dutch Government is a minority shareholder in the company.
Chanon Cidor, the Israeli minister here, made the request last week, pointing out that such a surrender to blackmail as would be represented by yielding to Arab pressure in this case could eventually have serious consequences for Dutch oil interests. He said that the Israel Government would be “pleased” to learn that the Netherlands Government was willing to make a stand against political blackmail of this nature.
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