On June 19, a senior advisor to UNICEF stated that UNICEF will not accept any financial support from Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev. Leviev, who is the chairman of Africa Israel Investments, is in charge of at least one company in which the Arab rights advocacy group Adalah-NY claims built Jewish settlements on West Bank land.

UNICEF’s rejection of Leviev’s support followed meetings with Adalah, letters from organizations and Palestinian communities advocating a boycott of Leviev’s companies, and a visit by UNICEF officials to Jayyous, one of the Palestinian communities where a Leviev company is building Israeli settlements. Leviev’s diamond-mining companies in Angola have also been accused of serious human rights abuses. Activist groups have met with other organizations and country representatives, demanding that Leviev's company be boycotted.

In a June 24 press release, Anti-Defamation League Director Abe Foxman criticized UNICEF’s decision to sever ties with Leviev, saying that it "smacks of selective political discrimination.” Commenting on the ADL demand, Daniel Lang/Levitsky of Jews Against the Occupation, a member group in the Adalah-NY coalition, explained, "International law and universal human rights are essential principles for international organizations like UNICEF. The construction of Israeli settlements unequivocally violates both of these principles. Therefore, the ADL's demand that UNICEF turn a blind eye to Lev Leviev’s violations of international law while disregarding basic rights for Palestinians is hypocritical and outrageous."

Statement by Jews Against the Occupation | DCI/PS welcomes UNICEF’s rejection of Leviev support | UNICEF Rejects Support From Israeli Billionaire Known for Constructing Settlements on Palestinian Lands

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