Historama Autumn Mail Auction #5

Bahranian postal boycott of Israel: 16 AUG 1974 large a/m pm cv ex Temple University PHILADELPHIA to Weizman Institute REHOVOT, meter franked 78c; mis-routed via BAHRAIN, where f/s 20 AU 74 MANAMA arr. + marked in m/s "No Service to Israel" & returned to sender; m/s crossed-out on arrival & resent to Israel. This is the only known example of "no service" mail to Israel via Bahrain. Locale had already refused to accept mail ex Israel in 1959 (19 Aug.), while still a British dependency; here Bahrain independent as of 1971. Rare instance of mail misrouted via Arab countries not in immediate proximity to Israel.