Claim: Hess Oil does not buy product from Middle Eastern countries because it is "owned by a Jewish family."
FALSE
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2002]
THERE IS DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE THAT COMPANIES LIKE EXXON, MOBIL, SHELL AND MANY OTHERS BUY THEIR OIL FROM THE ARAB COUNTRIES THAT SUPPORT TERRORISM LIKE IRAQ AND SAUDI ARABIA.
B U T.....THERE IS A COMPANY CALLED HESS GAS. NOT ONLY HAVE I CHECKED THEM OUT WITH A CHEMICAL ENGINEER I MET ON A PLANE BUT HE TOLD ME HESS PRODUCES A QUALITY PRODUCT BASED ON THE CALIBER OF OIL HESS BUYS.
NOW THE "PUNCHLINE" YOU ARE SAYING WHY WOULDN'T HESS BUY FROM THOSE COMPANIES.
Origins: Hess Oil (technically known as the Amerada Hess Corporation since a 1971 merger between Hess
Hess.
It is true that Hess has little or no dealings with Middle Eastern countries, as their exploration and production activities take place primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Algeria, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Brazil and Colombia. However, it is not quite accurate to claim that Hess "doesn't buy" from Middle Eastern companies because it is "owned by a Jewish family." Although John Hess serves as chairman and CEO of Amerada Hess, the company is publicly traded and therefore is "owned" by a variety of stockholders, not a single family. Moreover, Amerada Hess does not have a policy of not dealing with Middle Eastern companies as a show of support or sympathy for Israel, but simply because they have no established exploration or production facilities in that part of the world. (The same is true of some other large oil companies, such as Sinclair and Sunoco).
Consumers wishing to purchase gasoline from retailers whose product does not originate in Middle Eastern countries can accomplish their goal by patronizing Hess service stations, of course, but not because Hess has a corporate policy of supporting Israel.
Last updated: 7 June 2002
Sources: |
Needell, Paul. "Oil Baron Presided Over His Jets 'Family'." The [Newark] Star-Ledger. 8 May 1999 (p. 1).