Israeli Blood Diamonds
Jun 28th, 2011 by Katie
In ‘The Death of the Kimberley Process‘, a post for Ethical Weddings late last year, David Rhode wrote about the certification for conflict diamonds that seemed fundamentally flawed.
One of the main flaws in the process is that it will only define as conflict diamonds
…rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments.
This means that diamonds crafted and polished in war-torn regions do not count.
One of the countries that benefits the most from this loophole is Israel. The Boycott Israeli Diamonds campaign got in touch to ask us to share the issues with our readers. Researcher for the campaign, Seán Clinton says:
Every year, consumers the world over unwittingly spend billions of dollars on diamonds crafted in Israel, thereby helping to fund one of the world’s most protracted and contentious conflicts. Most people are unaware that Israel is one of the world’s leading producers of cut and polished diamonds.
There is currently no way of knowing whether the diamond in the engagement ring you’re admiring in your local jeweller’s window was cut and polished in Israel.
This is why the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign is calling for the introduction of a hallmark system for all diamonds which will inform consumers where they were manufactured, giving them the right to choose Israel-free diamonds.
Sign the petition
Urge the Kimberley Process to include all diamonds that fund human rights violations in their definition of conflict diamonds.
Background to Israeli diamonds
Read more on Israel’s blood diamonds
Find out more about the Boycott Israeli Diamonds campaign
Katie
This campaign is incredibly racist and discriminatory.
Why do you not post about diamonds polished in India, where they have a conflict with Pakistan?
Why do you not post about diamonds polished in Russia, where they are involved in a conflict with Chechnya?
Why do you not post about diamonds polished in the US, where they are involved in a conflict with Afghanistan and Iraq?
Why do you not post about diamonds polished in the UK, where they are involved in a conflict with Afghanistan and Iraq?
Why not – because you wouldn’t dare. Its only when it comes to the Jews that such claims are acceptable.
The list can go on but I am sure you get the point.
Anti-Semitism at its finest.
You should change this blog’s title from ethical to unethical.
Shelley, thank you for your comment. We do not believe that the sale of diamonds – rough or cut and polished – should fund conflict or human rights abuses anywhere in the world.
However, this is a particular campaign that is being run and that was brought to our attention – we wanted to share it with our readers so that they could support it if they wished to do so.
This is the first time we have made our readers aware of this campaign – in the past the focus has been much more on diamonds funding conflicts in Africa. Recently, we have written about Zimbabwe as a specific case where clear human rights abuses were taking place but the diamonds were not considered conflict diamonds. This has led to questions being asked about the validity of the Kimberley Process – and paved the way for further questions about whether it should look not just at rough diamonds but cut and polished ones too.
If you have a campaign, research or reports to share on the conflicts you mention above, we would be happy to share this with our readers.
Katie
There are NO campaigns against diamonds from the US, UK, Russia, Lebanon or India, all of which are involved in wars, just as Israel is. That is the real story.
As a self-professed ethical website, I am saddened that you have willingly allowed yourself to be hijacked into a racist and discriminatory campaign from a group who does not give a damn about ethics. Their only priority is damning the Jews. (Sorry – clearly, their only priority is damning Israel – it obviously has nothing to do with the fact that Israel is the Jewish state….)
Israel is the only apartheid nation I know of, fully backed up by Western $$$ in amounts that are incredible, even when other nations are in economic crisis, still $$$ goes to Israel. This campaign seems to me to be right on target. It is not going to stop Israel from existing, that is not the goal. To me, the goal is merely to try to see Israel change face, from an apartheid nation…to one who grants equal rights to ALL people that it currently controls.
Think about South Africa, pre and post apartheid, and you may see how Israel falls into the same category.
So, I will never buy Israel’s Blood diamonds, and neither do many other people.
Diamonds can be crafted anywhere. The polishing can me moved to some other nation that does not actively and heinously practice apartheid.
Hi Shelly. As one of the leaders of the campaign to expose the trade in Israeli blood diamonds please be assured that the campaign has nothing to do with racism or discrimination. It is a global campaign, supported by people of all races and all religions, including Jews for within and without Israel.
I too believe that the diamond industry in other countries deserves scrutiny but in the case of Israel it is particularly pertinent to the ongoing violations of human rights in Palestine as the Israeli diamond industry provides about $1 billion in funding for the Israeli military each year.
The Israeli military stands accused by the UN Human Rights Council of war crimes and crimes against humanity and of grave breaches of international human rights law. I’m sure you must be familiar with the results of the UN HRC investigations into the Israeli attack on Gaza which resulted in the death of over 1400 people, including over 400 children and for the assault on the flotilla carrying aid to the people in Gaza last year when nine unarmed civilians were murdered by Israeli commandos on the ship the Mavi Marmara.
Israeli economist Shir Hever stated lat year that “every time someone buys a diamond exported from Israel some of that money ends up in the Israeli military so the financial connection is quite clear”. The Kimberley Process only regulates the trade in rough diamonds. Cut & polished diamonds that fund human rights violations evade any regulation and this allows blood diamonds from Israel to be sold to unsuspecting consumers as so-called conflict free diamonds. This charade has to be exposed. You can get further informatin here: http://electronicintifada.net/content/diamond-industrys-double-standard-israel/10102 and here – http://electronicintifada.net/content/israels-blood-diamonds/8754
“I too believe that the diamond industry in other countries deserves scrutiny”
Yet the only country there is a campaign against is Israel. Don’t you see the problem?
This isn’t about diamonds.
There is so much (unwarranted) hatred against Israel, that it reflects far more badly on those doing the hatred than Israel.
Gaelic Neilson above responded crying that there is apartheid in Israel. Its such nonsense, and just like diamonds – if you were interested in apartheid you could make claims against other countries – for example Saudi Arabia.
This campaign is racist and discriminatory, no matter what ‘morals’ you try to display.
The constant cry of ‘anti-semitism’ is old and not legitimate argument. Diamonds processed in isreal are blood diamonds – they fund the idf and result in the death of thousands of innocent Palestinians. After much research and thought – I am returning my “Leo” engagement ring today for a refund. EVERYONE should be doing the same …