Irishman harassed at Tel Aviv diamond conference protest

international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Thursday June 24, 2010 10:44 by Kev - IPSC info at ipsc dot ie

IPSC calls for urgent review of the Kimberly Diamond Process

On Wednesday 23rd June, Irishman Tommy Donnellan took part in a protest outside the meeting of Kimberley Process Conference in the Hotel Dan Panorama in Tel Aviv. The conference is meeting to discuss the global trade in “conflict” or “blood diamonds”, and the protest was organised to highlight the double standard in the Kimberly Process which bans the trade in rough diamonds that fund human rights abuses but facilitates the far more lucrative trade in cut and polished diamonds that also fund such abuses – including Israel’s occupation of Palestine. During the protest, Mr Donnellan was questioned by Israeli police and had his passport and phone numbers taken down.

Tommy in Tel Aviv

The focus of the meeting was diamond exports from Zimbabwe where government forces are accused of committing human rights abuses. Zimbabwe’s membership of the Kimberly Process exposes serious flaws in the system that the industry wants consumers to believe has ended the trade in conflict diamonds.

The danger for the industry is the spotlight which the Zimbabwe issue focuses on the double-standard the Kimberly Process introduced to the diamond supply chain. Kimberly Process regulations stipulate that only rough diamonds used by rebel movements can be classed as conflict diamonds. As Zimbabwe’s diamonds are controlled by government forces they can not be classed as conflict diamonds under the Kimberly Process. Therefore, Zimbabwe remains in compliance with the Kimberly Process even though its diamonds are widely believed to be funding human rights abuses.

Speaking from Tel Aviv Mr. Donnellan said: “Israel, like Zimbabwe, is a state that stands accused of gross human rights violations. Israel is the world’s leading diamond exporter with exports valued at $20 billion in 2008. However as Israel’s diamonds are cut and polished they slip under the radar of the Kimberly Process scheme. Revenue from the Israeli diamond industry funds that state’s war crimes and human rights abuses against the Palestinian people, yet the focus of this week’s Kimberly Process meeting is on Zimbabwe’s diamond exports which are more than 1,200 times less than Israeli exports.”

Mr. Donnellan continued: “The Kimberly Process is a charade, it shelters the Israeli diamond industry from public scrutiny while focusing global attention on the much smaller producers in Africa. The issue of Israel’s diamond exports is the elephant in the room that no one dares mention, but we are here to ensure the issue of Israeli blood diamond exports is exposed.”

The EU is a member of the Kimberly Process and in recent weeks Irish MEPs have been lobbied by constituents who want an urgent review of the Kimberly Process so all diamonds that fund human rights are banned.

The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign calls on Irish jewellers to do the following:

· Desist from telling customers that all diamonds now “conflict free” when 50% of gem quality diamonds are crafted in Israel, one of the worlds bloodiest conflict zones.

· Support the call for an urgent review of the Kimberly Process so that all diamonds that fund human rights abuses are banned, not just rough diamond that fund such abuses.

· Call on the diamond industry to hallmark all diamonds so consumers have the right to know where each diamond was crafted and the right to choose a genuinely conflict free diamond

· Provide laser-inscribed diamonds manufactured in countries that respect human rights and international law and refuse to sell diamonds crafted in Israel until it complies fully with its obligations under international law