Protest against how Israel sells "conflict diamonds"

Protest: Hotel Dan Panorama, Charles Clore Park/10 Kaufman Street, Tel Aviv at 2PM sharp.

About 200 participants from 42 member states of the Kimberley Process Forum arrived at Tel Aviv’s Hotel Dan Panorama this morning, for the opening of the Kimberley Process Conference, hosted by Israel which holds the forum’s rotating chair position this year. In 2003, the World Diamond Council introduced a system of self-regulation called the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme to stem the flow of "conflict" or "blood diamonds." In keeping with the limited concerns of the WDC the UN-mandated Kimberly Process adopted a very narrow definition of what constitutes a conflict or blood diamond: "rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments." As a result of this tight ring-fencing, the much more lucrative trade in cut and polished diamonds avoids the human rights strictures applying to rough diamonds, provided the industry uses only Kimberly Process-compliant rough diamonds. Regardless of the human rights violations and atrocities funded by revenue from the Israeli diamond industry, governments and other vested interests party to the Kimberly Process facilitate the unrestricted access of diamonds crafted in Israel to the multi-billion dollar global diamond market. The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme strictures only apply to rough diamonds, thus allowing diamonds crafted in Israel to freely enter the market regardless of the criminal actions of the Israeli government and armed forces. The Kimberly Process is seriously flawed and is being used by the diamond industry and jewelers to pull the wool over consumers' eyes by telling them that all diamonds are now "conflict free" without explaining the limitations and exactly what that means. The high-value end of the diamond industry is the main artery of the Israeli economy, accounting for more than 30 percent of Israel's total manufacturing exports worth nearly $20 billion in 2008. By comparison, the budget for Israel's Ministry of Defense was $16 billion in 2008. Revenue from the diamond industry helps fund Israel's illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories, its brutal subjugation of the Palestinian people and its international network of saboteurs, spies and assassins. None of this is alluded to in the WDC's "Diamond Facts." http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11170.shtml



Tomorrow’s protest is to bring attention to the exemption of Israel in the Kimberley Process and to shame the World Diamond Council into broadening its paradigms and include this area of bloody conflict.