We recently read in the local press that the Ministry of Commerce had confiscated a number of mobile phones and penalized the company that imported them. The reason was that the mobiles were manufactured in Israel.
Such actions on the part of the ministry is proof of its diligence and keenness to ensure that the Saudi economy will in no way contribute to helping the enemy Israeli economy.
Hats off to His Excellency the Minister of Commerce and his staff for their efforts.
I would like to supply some other information that I hope will show the real face of certain companies that support Israel. Let us begin with Marks & Spencer whose branches are now found all over the Kingdom. This company has a long history of extending generous support to the Zionist movement.
In 1916 the company chairman, Lord Simon Marks, together with Israel Zaive, its director, helped Chaim Weissman in his efforts to convince the British government to adopt the project that led to Zionist settlements in Palestine.
Those efforts were crowned in the following year by the infamous Balfour Declaration.
In 1918 Israel Zaive served as secretary to Weissman at the Versailles Conference and spread the Zionist call among other big powers at the end of World War I.
In 1920 Rebecca Marks (Simon’s sister and Israel’s wife) and Vira Weissman, Chaim’s wife, formed the first Zionist women’s organization.
From that time until the present, Marks & Spencer has providing support to the Zionist movement and to the state of Israel. Two years ago the Israeli media reported that the government had honored Marks & Spencer for its sustained support to the Zionist movement.
Marks & Spencer was the first to introduce the Israeli avocado to the British market. Its shops sell a number of Israeli products, including clothes. It also sells agricultural products and other goods produced and manufactured in the occupied Palestinian lands, selling them as Israeli products to evade the boycott enforced by the European Union on products coming from the occupied lands.
The boycott of course is aimed at denying Israel any financial benefits. Marks & Spencer imports some $233 million worth of goods from Israel every year.
Another company we should look at is Starbucks. This American firm with a chain of cafes and coffee shops is mushrooming in all our cities.
The information that I have found about this company is that its chairman was honored in 1998 on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel for his “numerous services to the Zionist state.”
The enemy Israeli Foreign Ministry thanked him for the support his company gives to government advertising campaigns. This support has been described as being crucial to the success of the campaigns.
During the massacres committed by Israel against the Palestinians last year, the Starbucks director gave a speech at a Zionist forum in which he praised the Israeli Army and urged American Jews to give even greater support to Israel. Starbucks also supports the Israeli government propaganda programs in universities all over America in an attempt to win popular support for Israel.
Arab News From the Local Press 25 November 2002
