THE MIDDLE EAST
SIR,—You rightly point out in your excellent edi- torial on the Middle East that Britain and America should throw overboard the policy of appeasing Nasser at the expense of Israel. A beginning could be made over the question of
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he rab ko cott of British and American firms 'adt vfith srael. It is highly significant that the rah ague as tightened its boycott at a time when ritain is talking of resuming trade relations with g ypt. Any acceptance by Britain—even tacitly—of what is not only an affront to international good conduct but also an obvious breach of the UN Charter is bound to retard progress towards Middle East peace.
The Arab boycott takes a number of forms. Ships and planes touching Israel ports are blacklisted and are refused entry to Arab ports. Already some fifty British ships have been blacklisted and BOAC, threatened with similar action, withdrew its services to Israel some time ago.
Commercial undertakings in Britain and elsewhere, suspected by the Arabs, are sent questionnaires which ask whether they deal with firms in Israel or, sig- nificantly, whether any of their directors are Jewish. A reply in the affirmative to either question results In their being blacklisted. All kinds of underhand methods are used to check up on companies which are suspect.
Nasser's refusal to allow Israel ships free passage through the Suez Canal and the attempt to reimpose the blockade in the Gulf of Aqaba are part of the same pattern which the Security Council condemned as long ago as 1951.
It is not enough as Britain and America have done in the past to deplore the boycott. They must break it by diplomatic and economic counter-measures. The Arab States and particularly Egypt are very vulner- able economically. They should be told clearly that if they want to trade they must stop interfering in the affairs of others.
For too long have the Arab States subjected this country and others to a policy which is undignified, condones illegality and, in the long run, harms our true interests. Let a stop be put once and for all to what is nothing less than blackmail.—Yours faithfully,
H. PINNER
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