The Arab boycott of Jewish
interests started as early as 1921, and it is still in effect today under the
auspices of the Arab League and its Central Boycott Office. This boycott
includes boycotting not only products produced in Israel, but also companies
that do business in or with Israel. The boycott even goes as far as
blacklisting ships that have docked in Israeli ports, regardless of the cargo's
point of origin or ultimate destination.
In 1977,
Congress passed a law creating the Office of Antiboycott Compliance within the
Department of Commerce, in response to the Arab boycott of Israel. The law
prohibits U.S. persons from taking certain actions in support of an
unsanctioned foreign boycott against a country that is friendly to the United
States. Because Israel is an ally of the United States, and our government does
not sanction the Arab boycott of Israel, the law prohibits actions that further
or support the Arab League boycott of Israel.
Over
the past two years, a divest-from-Israel campaign has been gaining momentum on
college campuses across the United States. In July 2003, the ZOA expressed its
concern about the campaign and about an upcoming national student conference
supporting the Arab boycott of Israel. The ZOA urged the Office of Antiboycott
Compliance to investigate these activities as a possible violation of the
antiboycott law.
In November 2003, Boycott Watch sent
a letter to the Office of Antiboycott Compliance, furnishing evidence that the
divest-from-Israel campaign is a direct function of the Palestinian Authority,
which is a member of the Arab League and a signatory to the Arab boycott of
Israel. Last week, Boycott Watch furnished additional information to the Office
of Antiboycott Compliance, about the Palestinian Authority's effort to
establish an economic blockade of Israel in Malaysia. This would effectively
expand the scope of the boycott and the Palestinian Authority's economic
warfare against Israel.
Boycott Watch is now advising
all colleges and universities that divest-from-Israel campaigns on their
campuses may be in violation of the U.S. antiboycott law.
"Boycott Watch is a leading consumer watchdog
organization and is committed to combating illegal boycotts of Israel in the
United States," said Fred Taub, president of Boycott Watch. Taub attended a
divestment conference at Ohio State University in 2003, and says that there was
no question that organizers were advocating an illegal boycott of Israel,
including divestment and direct boycott of Israeli goods. "The organizers even
went as far as advocating boycotts against U.S. companies that do business with
Israel, and some boycotters are creating a 'safe list' of companies to purchase
from that don't do business with Israel. Asking companies to comply with that
list or to furnish information in support of the list is illegal. The Arab
boycott of Israel is being promoted in the U.S. and we will continue to lead
the fight against it."
Susan Tuchman, Director of the
ZOA's Center for Law and Justice, encouraged others to join in this fight and
contact the Office of Antiboycott Compliance to voice their concerns about the
nationwide student divestment campaigns against Israel and urge that they be
shut down. "The campaigns are obviously intended to hurt Israel's economy, but
they also threaten our own country's trade and commerce, and may damage
American companies that do business in or with Israel," according to Tuchman.
The Boycott Watch letters to the Office of
Antiboycott Compliance describing potential violations of the law are available
on line at www.BoycottWatch.org. For further information, consultation or to
schedule a lecture, contact Boycott Watch at 216-765-2273. The Zionist
Organization of America can be reached at www.zoa.org and at 212-481-1500.
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