After hundreds of angry American citizens e-mailed, faxed, wrote to and called Texas Automotive Export of Dripping Springs, Texas, to complain of its apparent boycott of Israeli customers, a company representative issued a statement expressing "regret" for his original letter written to a Tel Aviv attorney. The company, John Harris insisted, "has no boycott of Israel, its citizens or any other country."

Israelinsider reported on Thursday that Harris had written to attorney Avi Udiz and informed him, "Texas Export will not do business with Israeli citizens at this time." In the letter, which featured prominently in stories in Maariv and Yediot Aharonot as well, Harris suggested to Udiz that Israel "rein in [its] military and stop [its] oppression of the Palestinian people." The letter concluded, "Your country has lost the respect of the civilized world."

In a statement issued Friday, Harris said, "I deeply regret my letter written in anger to Mr. Avi Udiz. I respect the right of Israel and its citizens to defend themselves. I regret any inconvenience or insult that was caused by my letter."

Harris's statement followed earlier denials by Texas Automotive Export representatives that the company was boycotting customers in Israel. "Don't believe everything you read on the Internet," wrote a sales representative by the name of Mark to dozens of people who had contacted him regarding the story. He suggested, "Have your friends place an order; we will send the parts if we have them."

Udiz, who had turned to Texas Automotive Export in a request for replacement parts for his Isuzu jeep, doubts that Harris's apology was "sincere." Udiz said, "He only issued the statement after local lawyers contacted him threatening legal actions against his company."

According to a warning issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security at the United States Department of Commerce, the compliance of American businesses to "requests to engage in activities that further or support the boycott of Israel… may be prohibited by the Export Administration Regulations and reportable to the Department." The 1976 Tax Reform Act specifically prohibited "agreements to refuse or actual refusal to do business with or in Israel."

Readers offer help, argue Israel's case
In response to the original article, many israelinsider readers offered their help to Israeli customers in need of auto parts from the United States. "I will purchase them and ship them over for them," wrote one reader from Texas.

Other readers wrote to John Harris in defense of Israel's war against terrorism. "Israel must do whatever it takes to crush the Palestinian terror machine, if for no other reason, just to save their own lives," one reader wrote. "At a time in America's history when we are engaged in a struggle against terrorism, to trash a country which is doing the same is tantamount to an endorsement of terrorism itself," wrote another.

Some readers were quick to point out that Harris's views "in no way reflect the views of the people of the state of Texas, and most Americans." But another reader, who admitted to having "immense pride in being Jewish," wrote to say that "in Texas, you keep the fact that you are Jewish to yourself, especially at the work place."

Readers suggested that they would launch a boycott of Texas Automotive Export, and any other companies that boycotted Israeli customers. One reader reacted to Harris's original letter that stated Israel "has lost the respect of the civilized world" by saying that Texas Automotive Export "has lost my respect and I will never lose respect for Israel."

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