Naomi – the blood diamonds in Ireland aren't "dirty-looking pebbles"
national |
rights, freedoms and repression |
opinion/analysis 
Tuesday August 10, 2010 22:51
by Sean Clinton
- they'll look just like these
Both the print and broadcast media have given a lot of coverage to the saga of Naomi Campbell’s encounter with blood diamonds, allegedly given to her by the former Liberian ruler and accused war criminal Charles Taylor. The controversy surrounds what Campbell described as a few “dirty looking pebbles” she received in the middle of the night while attending a dinner party hosted by former South African President, Nelson Mandela.
The diamond industry has tried to convince the world that the trade in blood diamonds was largely eliminated following the introduction of the Kimberley Process system of self-regulation in 2003. However, as evidenced by the recent failure of KP members to ban diamond exports from Zimbabwe where Global Witness has documented gross human rights abuses, the KP is unable and unwilling to prevent vast quantities of diamonds that fund human rights abuses from entering the market. Vested interests ensure that the KP definition of a blood diamond is tightly ring-fenced and only applies to “rough diamonds used by rebels” thereby allowing their blood diamonds to slip under its radar and be sold to unsuspecting consumers as KP-compliant and “conflict free” diamonds.
The KP is little more than a massive PR exercise - a smoke and mirrors illusion. Its backers focus public attention on a tiny segment of the blood diamond trade thereby distracting attention from the much larger trade in diamonds that fund war crimes and crimes against humanity by rogue states such as Israel and Zimbabwe.
Israel was recently found guilty of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity by the UN and is presently under investigation for the murder of nine unarmed civilians on the flotilla bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza. It is the world’s No.1 exporter of diamonds with exports valued at nearly $20 billion in 2008 accounting for over 30% of its total exports. Approximately fifty percent of all gem-quality diamonds are crafted in Israel. Despite this, jewellers tell customers their diamonds are “conflict free”. The reality is vastly different. The shredded bodies of Palestinian children and blood-soaked hospital floors in Gaza are potent examples of the end use of the diamond revenues accruing to the Zionist regime.
Consumers are being conned and the mainstream media is failing to expose the cover up. The Retail Jewellers of Ireland have so far remained silent about the largely-clandestine trade in Israeli blood diamonds. Many jewellery shops have over €1,000,000 worth of diamonds on display. On average, that will include €500,000 worth of Israeli blood diamond. Most consumers are completely unaware of this and presently have no way of distinguishing a diamond crafted in Israel from a diamond crafted in a country that respects human rights.
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign has called on jewellers to demand a review of the KP so all diamonds that fund human rights abuses are banned and for all diamonds to be laser inscribed so consumers have the right to know where they were crafted and the right to choose an Israel-free diamond. Until this happens consumers should boycott all diamonds that are not hallmarked as otherwise they run a high risk of buying an Israeli blood diamond thereby helping to fund the sort of human rights abuses that have earned Israel its pariah status and landed Charles Taylor in the dock in The Hague.
