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October 19, 2009 at 8:20 am (Activism, Associate Post, Boycott Israel, DesertPeace Exclusive, Illegal Settlements, Israel, Palestine)
Click on the above images to enlarge Commentary by Chippy Dee, Photos © by Bud Korotzer
On Saturday afternoon, October 17th, there was a lively demonstration at the Leviev jewelry store on upscale Madison Avenue in N.Y.C. The New York Campaign for the boycott od Israel and Adalah-N.Y. The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East organized the event at this time because, “Boycott activist Mohammad Othman, from the West Bank village of Jayyou was abducted by Israeli forces on September 22on on his return from Norway. Mohammad had been asking the Norwegian government to boycott companies that support Israeli repression, including Lev Leviev’s companies that are building settlements on Jayyous’ land. The people of Jayyous have been protesting non-violently against Leviev’s settlement and Israel’s wall for 7 years. No charges have been filed against Mohammad…. At the same time, Israel has stepped up repression against Bil’in’s 5 year non-violent campaign of boycott, legal suits, and protests against Leviev’s settlement and Israel’s wall on Bil’in’s land. More than 20 Nil;in activists have been arrested since June. Bil’in protester Adeeb Abu Rhame and 17 others are still being held, and Bil’in non-violent organizer Abdullah Abu Rahme is ‘wanted’ by the Israeli army.”
About 40 people held signs, handed out leaflets,spoke to passers-by, and sang and chanted for 2 hours in front of the Leviev store. Most of the people on the street were politely interested in what was happening and why. While the demonstrators were there no customers entered the store.
Business has not been good for Lev Leviev who, according to Forbes.com, is the world’s biggest cutter and polisher of diamonds. His worth was estimated at $1.5 billion but his stock has dropped 84% over the past year. Sara Ivry, in Tablet, wrote “Leviev and his diamond mining company, Africa-Israel, are now mired in debt”. Leviev made his fortune by controlling much of the diamond market in Angola where his business has been linked to human rights abuses – an accusation he denies. According to Rotem Starkman writing in Ha’aretz, Leviev failed to forsee the economic crisis that was coming. He took out enormous loans to buy property in N.Y. at top prices. What he once bought for $4 billion is now worth less than half that amount.
The U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation says that while his company, Africa-Israel, suffered losses because of falling real estate prices, “There are some indications that Africa-Israel’s difficulty finding additional capital is due to the boycott and divestment (BDS) campaign that has been targeting Leviev for 2 years”. Leviev is a major builder of Jewish-only settlements on West Bank Occupied Palestinian land. He built Ma’ale Adumim (a huge bloc that makes travel for Palestinians between the Northern and Southern West Bank almost impossible), Har Homa, Adam, Matityahu East and Modi’in ilit. Modi’in and Matityahu East are the settlements that made Israel build a wall taking away 60% of the Palestinian village of Bil’in’s land. The existence of these projects made BlackRock, a British investment bank, divest it’s holdings in Africa-Israel. A week after their announcement Leviev said that his company could not raise the money to repay it’s debts.
The demonstration this week was just one of a series of actions against that Leviev store. People working for justice for the Palestinian people have been there before and will keep returning until Palestine is free.
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