Page 6-The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, May 16, 1991
iyi.T
RON CSILLAG
TORONTO-
Oniario's MinistrS^ of ^nsumer and Commereial Affairs says there is "no basis" on which to continue an investigation of , DHL International Express Ltd'., one of thd world' s largest couriers,' for allegedly boycotting Israel.
The invcstigatioti was initiated by the Ontario region of Canadian Jewish Congress,which asked the ministry to look into whether DHL was violating the province's Discriminatory Business Practices Act by not servicing Israel.
Last Friday, Whipple Steinkrauss. who heads the ministiy's business practices division, wrote Congress to say that in the year
ending April 30, 1991, DHL made over 270 shipments to Israel from Cana-_ dian cities, and that the courier has "caiegocicalr —ly-■- denied it discriminates against Israel.
The ministry- suggested Congress address further concerns to DHL president Kal Tobias.
But Congress says it will pursue the matter with the niinistrv.
David Satok, chairman of the region's community relations committee, says the courier may be; contracting put its shipments to Israel'in order to bypass regulations.
"There are a lot of unanswered questions," Satok said.
It, was late last month when CJ C wrot^ to the ministrv', expressing concern over the "possibility"
that JDHL is boycotting Israel.
_ The letter cited comments bylhe courier's employees in- response—to inquiries about service to Israel, and a list of 207 countries and territories to which DHL delivers — Israel not among them.
But a furious Tobias hinted last week his company may take legal actioti against CJC for its "totally un$ubstantiated and unfounded" claims. I
"I'd' say the folks at , Canadian Jewish Congress have a real problem," Tobias told The CJN. "They've laid inaccurate a:nd unresearched charges. After we're fiilly absolved, we'll consider legal action. This will go to our attorneys."
Tobias said DHL "absolutely'' delivers to and
■  Bv ■ PAUL LUNGEN
TORONTO -
A decision in the denaturalization case involving alleged Nazi collaborator Jacob Luitjens appears imminent.
Federal Court Justice Frank Collier, who heard the case two years ago. has completed his judgment subject to some revisions and is expected to file it with the court within a few-Weeks, The CJN has learned.
Justice James Jerome, who is responsible for^the trial division's judges, spoke late last week with Collier, who informed him of the status of the case, Jerome's assistant, Claire Belair, said.
Jerome had written to Collier in March, urging him to render a decision. Evidence and argument in the case was concluded ^vo years ago this month.
Jewish groups have been becoming increasingly disappoint^ and angry that the Justice Department's war crinies unit af^iearsto have" delayed launching denaturalization proceedings against other alleged war criminals pending resolution of the case.
•'We're enormously frustrated by the time that has passed," said Jack Silver-stone, national executive director of Canadian Jewish Congress. "It's obvious that despite assuirances to the contrary, [Luijjcnsl is being used as a test case and we're dissatisfied with that.
"It's not appropriate that (the war crimes unit] should hang its entire ' denaturalization hat on this one case."
Sol Littman. Canadian representative of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, said the long delay "keeps the plug in the bottle on a number of cases that the government would proceed on."
Jonathan Richler, a member of B'nai Brith's war crimes committee, said the organization is concerned that the delay not only brings the administration of justice into disrepute, but as time passes.
the chances increase of witnesses in other potential cases dying or becoming too infirm to testify.
Last week; Peter Krem-er-. who head the-war —-crimes unit, suggested the delay may be pushing the unit into a legal avenue that still remains available to it — re-opening the case and starting again from the beginning.
"Given the fact this was the first denaturalization case brought against an al-
leged war criminal, we expected the court would have dealt with the legal issues as quickly as possible. . . We were hoping :_forquick guidance. We haven't got it."
The Crown alleges that Luitjens collaborated with the Nazis in wartime ;Holl-and and lied about his past when he immigrated to Canada.
Evidence at the hearing showed that Luitjens shot a German deserter as he was trying to surrender. '
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from Israel and that he has -"ample" waybills and in-" voices to prove the courier is not boycotting the Jewish state.
He said the company's list of destinations changes "virtually ever>' day" and is determined by political conditions and. foreign postal and customs regulations.
Tobias said the destina-lion list CJC'used in its letter to the ministr>' is an old one and originated in Vienna. He could not say why it excluded Israel,
He said DHL does not ship to Iran. Iraq and AN geria because of the vola-
tile state of those nations, and has removed Brazil artd several Afrieancoun-tries from its destination list because of their tighter ' controls over courier , services. ;
He said the ministry has received ah updated destination list, with Israel on it.
In its April letter to Steinkrauss, Congress said that after a complaint "from a member of our Jewish community,'' CJC inquired about shipping material to Israel with DHL, but was told that was not possible because of "customs regulations."
Later, CJC said it was
told by DHL's teie^sales .supervisor that if the courier shipped to Israel, it could not serve countries such as Saudi Arabia.
Tobias said he spoke with the supervisor and that her comments, as related by CJC. are ''absolutely incorrect." •
According to Congress. DHL's station manager then explained that the reason the courier does not ship to Israel is because the DHL office in Tel Aviv was bombed last year, resulting in the death of an employee.
Congress later confirmed there was no such attack.
and Tobias said the bombing story "was just a : rumor.
Congress has been sensitive to the Israeli boycott issue ever since the Ontario Science Centre was found to have violated the Discriminator)' Business Practices Act by agreeing to boycott Israeli goods and services in a contract with the Sultanate of Oman. -
Satok said CJC will set up an anti-boycott committee to monitor compliance with the act. which was passed in the late '70s to counter the Arab-led worldwide trade boycott of Israel.
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