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BOYCOTT OF JEWISH STATE A FEDERAL CRIME
Store owner must sell to Israelis
Auto
parts owner draws Israelis' ire By ARMANDO VILLAFRANCA AUSTIN—A Dripping Springs auto parts store owner, apparently moved by events in the Middle East, soon found the tension from the region falling on him after he refused an Israeli customer. John Harris, of Texas Automotive Export, an independent auto parts store in the community west of Austin, has been inundated with e-mails and phone calls after declaring he would "not do business with Israeli citizens at this time." Last week, Harris sent a fax to Israeli citizen Avi Udiz informing the Tel Aviv attorney that Texas Automotive would not do business with him. "We urge you to rein in your military and stop your oppression of the Palestinian people," the fax went on to say. "Your country has lost the respect of the civilized world," it concluded. The fax angered Udiz, who had bought parts from Harris in 1998 and sought parts only to upgrade his Isuzu. "They always answered me kindly, and I remembered them favorably. Therefore, when I decided to upgrade my jeep, I turned to them and was shocked to receive a reply in which they stated that they don't conduct business with Israelis," Udiz told the israelinsider, an Israeli Web magazine. The incident spawned a flurry of responses from within the United States and the Middle East and was reported widely in the Israeli media. Apparently, the calls and e-mails came from both sides of the Middle East conflict and either condoned or condemned Harris' actions. Martin Cominsky, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League southwest regional office in Houston, said his office investigated the incident but found no link between Harris and the Middle East. "Our sense is that he was misguided," Cominsky said. "I think he didn't realize how his words would be received by an Israeli citizen and ultimately the Israeli government and the Israeli press." Harris also faced sanctions from the federal government. U.S. companies are forbidden from boycotting Israel under the Commerce Department's office of anti-boycott compliance. Harris has since issued a retraction but only after considerable pressure and the threat of a lawsuit by an Austin law firm on behalf of a group of Israeli citizens. In his retraction, Harris wrote, "Texas Export has no boycott of Israel, its citizens or any other country. I deeply regret my letter written in anger to Mr. Avi Udiz. "I respect the right of Israel and its citizens to defend themselves. Once again, I regret any inconvenience or insult that was caused by my letter." Harris said he now wants only to put the episode behind him. Declining interviews, Harris said his retraction spoke for itself. "He is not a very politically affiliated person, from my understanding of him," said Yanni Funk, of Funk & Associates, the Austin firm that threatened the lawsuit. Funk said Harris called him within minutes after being notified of the lawsuit. He said Harris was eager to comply with the demands of the Israeli citizens threatening suit. "Based on the retraction, which was our goal, we have released Harris and Texas Automotive Export of any and all liability," Funk said.
'SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY . . . '
Remember the LIBERTY?
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