Israeli racist settler leader, Lev Leviev, protested in New York for grabbing of Palestinian lands

Israeli settler leader protested in New York

Wednesday November 14, 2007 19:51 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC saed at imemc dot org

Lev Leviev, a diamond dealer and one of Israel’s richest men, faced protests from Palestinian rights advocates in New York Tuesday evening. The protesters were challenging Leviev’s funding of Israeli settlements built on Palestinian land in contravention of international law.

Leviev built his enormous fortune trading in diamonds with Apartheid-era South Africa. His company now buys diamonds from the repressive Angolan government. Leviev uses profits from diamond sales to fund the construction of suburban developments for Israeli settlers on occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank. This has led his critics to call him a “conflict diamond salesman” on both the production and consumption side of the market.

The New York protest took place outside a gala event held at Leviev’s Madison Avenue jewelry store. New York City human rights activists chanted, "You're glitz, you're glam, you're building on Palestinian land," and "All your diamonds cannot hide, your support for Apartheid."

Protesters called on New York City's upscale residents to boycott Leviev's diamonds. Disconcerted attendees hastily exited to their limousines to loud chants of, "Occupation is a drag, just say no to your gift bag."

Leviev has invested heavily in the illegal Israeli settlements of Mattityahu East and Zufim, according to Gadi Algazi in the August 2006 Le Monde Diplomatique, and in Ma'ale Adumim and Har Homa, according to The Jerusalem Post, all of which were built illegally on confiscated Palestinian lands. He has also built homes in the settlement of Ariel. All the settlements in which Leviev has built homes are in direct violation of international law, and have been condemned by various United Nations Resolutions.

Over 500,000 Israelis, many of them new immigrants, live illegally in settlements built on illegally-seized Palestinian land in the West

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