Diamond market heavily contaminated with Israeli blood diamonds

Last weekend members of the Ireland-Paleatine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) were on the streets in Dublin, Galway and Limerick to inform shoppers about the likelihood of unwittingly supporting the apartheid regime in Israel if they purchase diamonds without knowing where they were crafted.

In the run up to Christmas the IPSC has stepped up its campaign to alert the public about the contamination of the diamond market with Israeli blood diamonds. Jewellers in Ireland (and elsewhere) are using their compliance with the UN Kimberly Process as a fig leaf to disguise the fact that they are selling diamonds crafted in apartheid Israel.

The problem for consumers at the moment is that unless a diamond has been branded by laser inscription it is impossible to distinguish a diamond crafted in Israel from a diamond crafted in a country that respects human rights and international law.

Jewellers claim that their diamonds are "conflict free" but fail to mention that the definition of conflict diamond includes only uncut or rough diamonds and disregards the much more lucrative trade in cut and polished diamonds from conflict zones. Israel is the world's leading producer of polished diamonds, a trade which accounts for 30% of Israel's total manufacturing exports.

The trade in polished diamonds from Israel helps fund genocide, ethnic cleansing and other human rights abuses being perpetrated daily against the Palestinian people. Diamonds crafted in Israel are de facto blood diamonds. Consumers should have the right to know where their diamonds were crafted and the right to choose Israel-free diamonds.

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For comment contact: Sean Clinton – 087-2725300, 061-386203