Bookstore Glossary Library Links News Publications Timeline Virtual Israel Experience
Anti-Semitism Biography History Holocaust Israel Israel Education Myths & Facts Politics Religion Travel US & Israel Vital Stats Women
donate subscribe Contact About Home

British-Israel Relations: UK Decides Not To Oppose Arab Boycott

(September 19, 1957)

UK Decides Not To Oppose Arab Boycott

CONCLUSIONS of a Meeting of the Cabinet held at 10 Downing Street, S.W. 1,
on Thursday, 19th September, 1957, at 3 p.m.

The Cabinet had before them a note by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (C. (57) 204) covering a report by officials on the implications of the Arab boycott of Israel.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said that this report indicated that any unilateral attempt on the part of the United Kingdom to oppose the Arab boycott of Israel would be ineffective and that the Government should therefore restrict their efforts to assisting individual firms who encountered difficulties as a result of the activities of the Arab Boycott Committee. He endorsed these conclusions. Effective measures to counter the boycott could only be taken with the support of other Governments, principally the United States. It was clear, however, that we could not secure such support; and any attempt by the United Kingdom to take independent action would not achieve any positive results and might well impair our prestige in the Middle East.

 


Sources:British Archives: CAB/128/31/70