Activists Call for Boycott of Diamond Giant Leviev for Support of Israeli Settlements and Links to Rights Abuses in Africa

Diamonds might be a girl’s best friend in tinseltown. But in the real world, the massive profits they rake in have helped fuel some of the worst conflicts in recent years. Today we take a look at the world’s largest cutter and polisher of diamonds. Leviev. Owned by the Ukrainian-born Israeli billonaire Lev Leviev. Forbes magazine described him as
“the man who cracked the DeBeers cartel.”

Leviev’s new Madison Avenue store in New York has been the target of almost weekly protests since it opened last November. On Saturday, protesters in New York and London urged people not to shop at Leveiv for Valentine’s day.
Those protesting Leviev allege that two of his companies and his former business partner Brooklyn developer Shaya Boymelgreen expanded at least five illegal Jewish-only settlements in the Palestinian West Bank. They also point to his sketchy human rights record in the African country of Angola, where Leviev controls the diamond supply.

We invited a Leviev representative to join us on the show but they declined. They sent us a statement saying: “Protests against LEVIEV and the Lev Leviev Group of Companies are politically motivated. Those who personally attack the companies or its founder deliberately neglect their extensive humanitarian and philanthropic work, which includes building schools, orphanages, and fostering economic development in communities around the world.
These protests are also inaccurate in their charges against LEVIEV diamonds. LEVIEV is a rigorous supporter of the UN mandated Kimberly Process concerning conflict-free diamonds and ensures that all gemstones—of all colors—are sourced through internationally recognized legal and ethical guidelines.”

Adalah-New York, or the coalition for justice in the Middle East, is the group that has been organizing the protests against Leviev in New York. We’re joined now here in the firehouse studio by two members of Adalah-New York. Lubna Mikkel is a Palestinian lawyer and Katie Unger is from Jews Against the Occupation.

Lubna Mikkel, Palestinian lawyer and member of Adalah-New York.

Katie Unger, Member of Adalah-New York and Jews Against the Occupation.

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