Diamonds to Dust in Disgust

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Thursday November 22, 2012 16:14

by Sean Clinton - Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Blood diamonds fund Israeli war crimes

On Saturday 24th November at 14:30 pm on Grafton Street, Dublin, Anne Clinton, a human rights activist from Limerick, will use a hammer to pulverise the diamond jewellery she got from her husband years ago in a public display of her outrage at jewellers for bankrolling Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

The action takes place just days before members of the Kimberley Process (KP) diamond regulatory system meet in plenary session in Washington to review the definition of a “conflict diamond” which presently excludes cut and polished blood diamonds.

Anne says: “Having learned that diamonds are a major source of funding for the Israeli military which is again mercilessly slaughtering and terrorizing innocent men, women and children in Gaza I can no longer tolerate wearing diamonds. When I look at any diamonds they now remind me of the horrific images of mutilated children in Gaza. What I once thought were symbols of love now have zero emotional appeal - they repulse me. Diamonds are worthless, human life is priceless. I want every woman, every mother, and every sister to think of the children in Gaza, murdered, maimed and terrorized by Israel, funded by over $1 billion per year of revenue from the Israeli diamond industry.”

In 2010, Israeli economist Shir Hever stated: "Overall the Israeli diamond industry contributes about $1 billion annually to the Israeli military and security industries … every time somebody buys a diamond that was exported from Israel some of that money ends up in the Israeli military so the financial connection is quite clear".

Diamonds are Israel’s most important export commodity, accounting for 30% of manufacturing exports, worth $22 billion in 2011. Even though diamonds from Israel fund the Israeli military which stands accused of war crimes by the Human Rights Council, the jewellery industry allows these diamonds to contaminate the diamond market masquerading as conflict-free diamonds.

Despite numerous calls for jewellers to end the trade all diamonds that fund human rights violations the KP insists the regulations should only apply to rough diamonds thus allowing cut and polished blood diamonds to evade scrutiny. If, as seems likely, the KP plenary refuses to broaden the definition of a “conflict diamond” and continues to allow cut and polished blood diamonds to contaminate the market, consumers can have no confidence in the ethical provenance of any diamonds.

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Additional information

by Sean Clinton

Thu Nov 22, 2012 16:18

Earlier Today: KP – Conflict diamond definition change unlikely soon http://www.israelidiamond.co.il/english/News.aspx?boneI...12117

October 2012 - Israel’s greatest fear – its diamonds trade exposed http://www.opednews.com/articles/Israel-s-greatest-fear....html

May 2012 - Israel's blood diamonds: Why the free pass from regulators and civil society? http://rabble.ca/news/2012/05/israels-blood-diamonds-wh...ciety

May 2012 - Jewellers Profit While Palestinians Bear The Cost http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/7412

November 2011 - Civil society petition to Kimberley Process calling for ban on all diamonds that fund human rights violations https://dl.dropbox.com/u/8654956/Boycott-Israeli-Blood-...1.pdf

November 2011 - Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition, Brussels Communiqué calling of the inclusion of the cutting and polishing industry in the Kimberley Process http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/Press_releases/2011/KP_...l.pdf

November 2010 - Israeli economist Shir Hever evidence to the Russell Tribunal on Palestine (at 34 min.) http://www.russelltribunalonpalestine.com/en/1087/video...ssion

March 2010 - Israel’s Blood Diamonds http://electronicintifada.net/content/israels-blood-dia.../8754

Steinmetz Diamond Company, Steinmetz Foundation funded Israeli soldiers during Cast Lead https://dl.dropbox.com/u/8654956/Steinmetz%20Foundation.jpg

Watch Live

Fri Nov 23, 2012 17:58

This event will be streamed live at 14:30 via this link http://www.livestream.com/scalltest

Thanks, Sean and Anne . . .

by Justin Morahan

Fri Nov 30, 2012 01:32

. . . and all associated with your brilliant video.

Anne, your great-hearted, generous smashing of your life collection of diamonds is a magnificent symbolic action deeply appreciated by all who live in hope for a better world.

You have struck an important blow for Palestinian rights, several such blows in fact, as you smashed those diamonds.

You have pointed to an important sourcing of the Israeli war crimes that continue at will and with US support against the people of Gaza and Palestine. You have given a voice to the voiceless, you have in part avenged the murdered children and civilians of Gaza.

Your words and actions rhyme splendidly.

Well done. Congratulations. This calls for some kind of serious celebration.

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Diamonds to Dust in Disgust

Comments (3 of 3)