Stop Israel's Blood Diamond Trade!

• Target: Members of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), NGO observers to the KPCS, the World Jewellery Confederation, the Responsible Jewellery Council and all national and international Jewellers associations
• Sponsored by: Global Palestine Solidarity

Diamonds processed in Israel fund war crimes and crimes against humanity yet they are sold worldwide as conflict free diamonds.

Israel is the world's leading diamond exporter, with exports valued at nearly $20 billion in 2008, accounting for over 30% of Israel's exports. Revenue from the Israeli diamond industry generates approximately $1 billion annually in funding for the Israeli military/security industry, a military which stands accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

According to the UN based Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) only "rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments" can be classed as conflict or blood diamonds. The KPCS classifies all other diamonds as "conflict free" regardless of what human rights violations they may be funding. Approximately 50% of all gem-quality diamonds in dollar terms are processed in Israel. These de facto blood diamonds are sold worldwide as conflict free diamonds to unsuspecting consumers who are unaware that their purchase is funding gross human rights violations in Palestine.

The KPCS definition of a conflict or blood diamond must be urgently reviewed in order to include all diamonds that fund human rights violations. 

Here is a video (posted independently from the petition against Israeli blood diamonds on YouTube by planxtysumoud at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l812WrnWbyQ&feature=related) that clearly outlines why Israeli diamonds are conflict diamond whose sale/trade needs to be opposed.

To sign the petition in support of this boycott against the trade in Israeli blood diamonds, please go to this site: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thepetitionsite.com%2F3%2FBoycott-Israeli-Blood-Diamonds%2F&h=2fd56xNUG6tB-pZseTrzKFtEJzw .

~ Posted with permission from Global Palestine Solidarity by Sofia Smith