UNCLAS AMMAN 002221

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KBCT PREL ETRD AL IS US JO
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON BOYCOTT OF U.S. AND ISRAELI PRODUCTS
DELIVERED TO JORDAN

REF: (A) STATE 84703 (B) AMMAN 2093


1. (SBU) On May 6, Poloff conveyed reftel points on the
boycott issue to Ali Al-Ayed of Foreign Minister Muasher's
Private Office. Al-Ayed offered no substantive comment but
promised to convey the message to FM Muasher who is currently
in Washington with King Abdullah and other senior members of
the GOJ.


2. (SBU) Comment: Post continues to support business
community efforts to find appropriate responses to popular
calls to boycott U.S. products and services (ref b). The
local Amercian Chamber of Commerce is working quietly to
ensure that opinion-makers in the media and elsewhere are
aware of the potential costs of a boycott to Jordan. The GOJ
fully recognizes the potential negative consequences an
anti-American boycott could have and will do what it can to
ensure that one does not materialize. The Jordanians are
hoping for progress on the political front that would defuse
the calls for a boycott and other steps promoted by
anti-normalizers.
BERRY