Category: In the Media

NY Jewish Week: Protesting Leviev, From Here To Dubai

by Walter Ruby – Special to The Jewish Week. To view original article, click here

N.Y.-based Arab-Jewish group claims credit for UAE snub of diamond merchant; Leviev spokesman says stores will open under his name.

Leviev already operates two jewelry stores in Dubai under the name “Levant” through a Moroccan-Palestinian agent Arif Bin Khadra.

Israeli diamond producer and retailer Lev Leviev’s penchant for flamboyantly branding his posh jewelery stores with his own name appears to have gotten him into trouble again – this time with the government of the glittery Arabian emirate of Dubai.

Leviev has been under siege from pro-Palestinian protestors who have been picketing his posh diamond shops on Madison Avenue and London for months. They are protesting the fact that subsidiary firms of Leviev’s company Africa-Israel have been constructing Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

The diamond producer suffered a new setback last week when a high-ranking Dubai official last week stated that his opulent city-state in the United Arab Emirates will not grant the Uzbekistan-born magnate a trade license to open two new stores there – at least not under the name “Leviev.”

But a Leviev spokesman insisted the 51-year-old billionaire will get his way in the end and open “Leviev” stores in Dubai to add to those already in existence in New York, London and Moscow.

Responding to a recent announcement by Leviev that he plans to open new stores this fall in Dubai, Ali Ebrahim, deputy director general for executive affairs in Dubai, said: “We are aware of these reports and have not granted a trade license to any business of this name. If such an application does come to us, we will deal with it accordingly.”

According to Leviev, one of the new stores is slated for the Dubai Mall, soon to be the world’s tallest building; the other is slated for the Atlantis Hotel, on a recently constructed artificial island.

Ebrahim said Israeli citizens are not permitted to operate businesses in Dubai. He added that such citizens would also be prevented from operating through local partners, even though Leviev already operates two jewellery stores in Dubai under the name “Levant” through a Moroccan-Palestinian agent Arif Bin Khadra. According to media reports, Israeli diamond traders have operated openly in Dubai for years.

Ebrahim made his comments after Adalah-NY, a pro-Palestinian group here that has been holding anti-Leviev demonstrations since last November outside the magnate’s diamond shop on Madison Avenue, strenuously protested to the Dubai government over Leviev’s plans to open new diamond stores there.

Yet on May 4, Leviev spokesman Justin Blake told The Jewish Week that, Ebrahim’s comments to the contrary, Leviev remains committed to his goals for Dubai.

“The stores will be opening in Dubai under the Leviev name as planned,” Blake said, declining to respond to questions as to how Leviev will manage to open his stores in Dubai despite the stated refusal of the authories there to allow him to do so.

Before Blake made his comments, observers in Dubai speculated that Leviev, acting through Bin Khadra, would ultimately agree to open his new stores there under the name “Levant” rather than his own name.

Yet Blake’s remarks indicate that Leviev may be planning to fight Dubai’s decision not to allow him to brand the stores with his own name, and will likely press the U.S. government to apply pressure on Dubai to reverse its decision. Leviev has previously asserted that attacks on his business activities by Adalah-NY and other groups are “politically motivated” or impelled by anti-Semitism.

Ethan Heitner, a spokesman for Adalah-NY, which is composed almost equally of Arabs and anti-Zionist Jews, claimed primary credit for Dubai’s reversal of its earlier apparent willingness to allow Leviev to open his stores there. “Working in conjunction with activists in Dubai and Palestine, Adalah-NY sent out a press release calling for Dubai to boycott Leviev on the basis of his violations of international humanitarian law. … We’ve heard reports of UAE papers and officials receiving our press release from multiple sources and angry phone calls.”

Heitner said that even if Leviev ultimately succeeds in opening his new stores in Dubai under the “Levant” name, Adalah-NY will still have achieved a moral victory. “Before our boycott call … Leviev was proudly planning to open an eponymous flagship boutique in the tallest building in the world – a grand symbolic achievement for a titan of global capitalism. Now, that’s not going to happen.”

Lev Leviev appears to believe otherwise.

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See also: “For Leviev, all that Glitters isn’t Gold,” NY Jewish Week, Feb. 20

PCHR: Narratives Under Siege

In order to highlight the impact of the siege and closure of the Gaza Strip on the civilian population, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) is publishing a series of “Narratives Under Siege” on their website. These short articles are based on personal testimonies and experiences of life in the Gaza Strip, highlighting the restrictions, and violations, being imposed on the civilians of Gaza. To view all the narrativeson the website, click here

Narratives Under Siege: Al Gherbawi Taxi office, Gaza city

Early Monday morning in Gaza city: the streets are sunny and quiet. As men and women walk to work, a smattering of cars drive through the city, but the vast majority of Gazans are on foot. Pedestrians stroll past vehicles that are double, even treble parked against the broken side-walks, and the distinctive yellow Gaza taxis are few and very far between.


Abu Khalil (left) and Sa'ed Mohammed Al Gherbawi at the Al Gherbawi taxi office in Gaza city. Al Gherbawi taxis have been operating for fourty years, but the office is now running just three cars

Sa'ed Mohammed Al Gherbawi runs Al Gherbawi taxis, and is already behind his desk at the city centre taxi office. "My family has been running taxis in Gaza for forty years, and I've been working here since 1983" he says. "We have a good business, with fifteen cars and twenty drivers. But we cannot operate without fuel. When the benzin deliveries were cut in February, we started to rely on diesel; but in the middle of April the diesel supplies were cut too, and now we can only afford enough diesel to keep one of our cars running full time. We manage to run another two cars on domestic cooking gas. But that is all we have now – three cars operating out of fifteen."

Fuel shortages are nothing new in Gaza. Israel has been deliberately restricting fuel deliveries to the entire Gaza Strip since October 2007. But these latest restrictions are unprecedented. During April this year, Israel stopped all fuel deliveries to Gaza for a total of 25 days, and permitted only miniscule deliveries during the remaining five days of the month. In total, 152,000 litres of benzin entered Gaza in April, less than 5% of the overall daily need, and 33,280 litres of diesel, which is 9.5% of the overall daily need. Fuel prices have subsequently rocketed. Diesel has gone from 100 Shekels ($25) per twenty litres to 350 Shekels (almost $100) in the last eight weeks, whilst benzin, which the majority of cars run on, is now totally unavailable. Black market fuel prices are even steeper. Across the Gaza Strip gas stations have closed, and up to ninety percent of cars are now off the roads, overwhelming the skeletal public transport services, and forcing schools and universities to suspend teaching because students and teachers can't get to their lessons. Throughout the Gaza Strip the streets are piled with rotting, stinking garbage, because all Gaza municipalities have now suspended collection services due to lack of fuel.

Collective punishment of a civilian population is illegal under international human rights and humanitarian law, but Gazans are being forced to walk to their work, homes, schools, hospitals, and everywhere else they need or want to go. Sick and injured patients, including those who need life-saving treatment, risk being stranded without ambulances, which have now been forced to restrict their services. Patients have sometimes been forced to ride donkeys or mules in order to reach hospitals for emergency treatment.

Two weeks ago the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which distributes food and medical aid across the Gaza Strip, was forced to temporarily suspend food distribution due to lack of fuel. UNWRA says it has been "Pushed to the brink" by the deliberate fuel cuts, and now has just enough fuel to continue operating for the next twenty days.

After almost two years of living under Israeli siege, Gazans are creative with the resources they do have. Drivers who need benzin have converted their cars to run on domestic cooking gas, and diesel drivers have even resorted to converting their vehicles to run on cooking oil. But these conversions are often primitive, and dangerous as the vehicles weren't originally manufactured for gas or cooking oil. Cooking gas is highly volatile, whilst the fumes from cooking oil are rank, can cause severe nausea and, according to some doctors, are also potentially carcinogenic.

At the Gherbawi taxi office, Sa'ed is on the phone, apologising to another customer for the lack of taxis. One of the drivers, fifty year old Abu Khalil, has worked with Gherbawi taxis for almost twenty five years. "When business is good I make about 1,100 Shekels ($275) a month" says Abu Khalil. "But I haven't worked at all for the last five days. I've been at home, sleeping, because there is nothing else to do. Now I walk to the taxi office hoping for work, and then I walk home again."

Sa'ed Al Gherbawi says he now has to turn down 90% of requests for taxis. "We have to ask people where they want to go before we can agree to take them. And now we are actually receiving more requests than ever, because a lot of car owners have no gas and they need taxis too!" But he remains defiantly hopeful that his business will survive until fuel does eventually arrive in Gaza. "My family has run this firm for forty years, and the important thing is that we have a lot of long-term customers who want us to stay open, and good drivers." he says. "For now we will manage on diesel and cooking gas, even though I have to use the cooking gas from my own home."

Y-net: We didn’t mean to kill them

Israel says it doesn’t mean to kill Palestinian children, yet they keep on dying

By B. Michael

To view original article published on Y-net, click here

We really didn’t mean to do it. Again we didn’t mean to do it. We have never meant to do it. Yet as usual, even though we didn’t mean it – we hit them. We hit them 1,000 times already without meaning to do it. We have killed a total of 1,000 Palestinian children since the second Intifada broke out on September 29, 2000. A thousand.

We already have a special procedure for cases where a Palestinian child dies as a result of a misfired missile, a misaimed shell, an unfocused helicopter, or a distracted sniper. At first, we deny a child even died. Later we argue that his own people killed him. Later we issue explanations and excuses and scenarios that only become dumber with the passage of time.

Then comes the turn of the “investigating officer” (it will never be an investigating judge, a scrutinizing observer, or an inquisitive civilian. It’s always an officer) who proceeds to issue some nonsense that clears us of any wrongdoing. Ultimately, we declare that the evil Arabs are at fault, because they take cover among civilians.

Yet if the regular “it was a mistake” claim has already become completely ridiculous – because how many times can one say “we didn’t mean it” without making those words empty and hollow and cold – the argument regarding taking cover among civilians is truly infuriating with its chutzpa.

A state whose military high command and the office of its defense minister are located at the heart of a crowded city, and which sends civilians, including their women and children, to “expand the boundaries of the country” and whose bridgehead for occupation and takeover regularly hides being babies and pregnant women, and which refers to its own armed soldiers who died in battle or were captured as “boys” – such state needs a very high level of nerve in order to blame others for hiding behind civilians and children.

And for those who wish to clear what is left of their conscience with the number of Israeli children killed by the Palestinians, here is a little information: Since the start of 2004, the Palestinians killed 11 Israeli children. We, during the same period of time, killed 452 Palestinian children.

But how can we even compare? After all, they mean to do it, while we don’t. (So maybe it would be better if we also start meaning to do it? Many children will be spared that way.)

Protests in Bil’in, al-Ma’sarah and al-Khader to mark International Workers’ Day

May 2nd, 2008

After midday prayers approximately 100 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists gathered for the Friday demonstration against the wall in Bil’in. This week, the protest was held in solidarity with the Palestinian workers to mark International Workers’ Day on Thursday.

Protesters set off on a seldom used to route to the wall. Their arrival at the wall was met by soldiers threatening to shoot anyone who approached the wall. After several minutes of chanting soldiers started shooting rubber bullets and tear gas at the protesters. The protesters began to move up to the usual site of the wall protests, the gate that seperates the village from it’s land. The soldiers continued their violence, aiming low with their tear gas canisters which increases the risk that someone will be struck by one possibly resulting in serious injuries. The tear gas canisters set the dry grass in the area on fire in many places. Thankfully the protesters were able to put out the fires before they spread too far. The soldiers continued shooting tear gas even after the protest was over despite the risk of fires.

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Anti Wall demonstration in a Bethlehem village, two Palestinians injured

For original article, published in IMEMC, click here

An anti-Wall demonstration of at least two hundred of the residents of the al Ma’sarah village near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem and dozens of International peace activists on Friday.

Demonstrators marched from a high school in the village of Al Ma’sarah towards the construction site of the Separation Wall on the village’s farmlands. Work began a year and a half ago no the village’s lands, aimed at confiscating and isolating ten of thousands of dunums of Al Ma’sarah’s land, located south-west of Bethlehem.

This week’s demonstration was to celebrate May Day (International Workers Day), and was attended by Dr Mustafa al Barghuthi, secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative, and Khalid al A’za , head of the Popular Committee of Land Defense and Settlement in the Bethlehem district. In addition, there were also a number of representatives of different organizations present.

In a speech delivered during today’s protest , Dr al Barghuthi denounced the Israeli procedures in an attempt to prevent the Palestinians from conducting any peaceful demonstration, affirming that “such procedures will not intimidate us [Palestinians] and that the Palestinians are stronger, and the ones that deserve to live freely and in dignity on the land of their fathers and ancestors .”

Dr. al Barghuthi added that, “the Wall’s destiny is to fall, as well as occupation is to end “. He called for ending the internal disagreements among Palestinian factions and to hold on to unity, which he described as ” an effective weapon to face the conspiracies on our cause.”

Al Barghuthi went on saying that recent political manoeuvers are aiming to separate the West Bank from the Gaza Strip and to destroy the idea of a Palestinian contiguous state, while turning Palestine into ghettoes and enclaves. He added that ” we were not in need of five months of negotiations so that the Palestinians will find out what Israel is planning is an apartheid state and a tiny Palestinian state without East Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley and the settlements.’

He noted that “a real State of Palestine should have a full sovereignty over its land, water, and borders, through ending the occupation and dismantling settlements from all of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including east Jerusalem, and dismantling the Separation Wall.”

As the protesters were about reach the construction site of the Wall, the Israeli army installed military roadblocks and prevented them from proceeding any further.

Mohammad Brejieh, the media spokesperson of the Popular Committee, said that two Palestinians were injured. He added that the Israeli army took many tight procedures to prevent the International peace activists from reaching the village by installing many roadblocks and closed the roads that lead to the village. The soldiers had confiscated a bus with more than sixty international peace activists for more than three hours to prevent them from participating in the protest.

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Al Khader Villagers Protest the Israeli Wall

For original article, published by IMEMC, click here

The Popular Committee of Al-Khader village, located near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, organized a non-violent demonstration in protest of the construction of the illegal Israeli segregation barrier, as well as the discriminatory and oppressive Israeli policies used daily against Palestinians.

On Friday about 300 residents of Al Khader, along with international and Israeli activists, gathered in the village. The village’s residents performed their Friday prayers at Al Nashah Israeli checkpoint located at the entrance of Al Khader.

Afterwards Dr. Mustafa Al Barghuthi, a Palestinian MP, gave a speech calling for the continued resistance against the wall and the Israeli settlements.

Soldiers were deployed, but the protesters stood their ground for nearly an hour before deciding to end the action.
Activists and many international and Israeli organizations allege that as a result of Israel’s construction of the illegal apartheid wall, the free movement of Palestinians, especially workers, has been heavily restricted. The apartheid wall separates workers from their workplaces, leaving them facing serious levels of poverty.

Ha’aretz: Senior official in Dubai government: Leviev has no license for opening a store in the Emirates

Senior official in Dubai government: Leviev has no license for opening a store in the Emirates

The Marker: Ha’aretz Daily’s Hebrew-language business magazine (Israel), click here to view

(Translated by Adalah-NY)

May 1, 2008

By Ora Coren and Michal Ramati

The “Gulf News” reported yesterday that the Leviev jewelry chain has no license to open a store in Dubai. Leviev has recently announced his intention to open two stores in Dubai.

“We are aware of the reports but we have not granted a license to a business by the name of ‘Leviev,'” said Ali Ebrahim, deputy manager for foreign affairs in Dubai to the “Gulf News.” In light of the Arab boycott of Israel, Israeli businesses are not allowed in the Gulf Emirates. Ebrahim has told “Gulf News” that measures were taken to make sure that Israelis will not operate in Dubai even through the use of non-Israeli partners.

However, Leviev already owns a store in Dubai through a local partner under the name “Levant.” The store opened on March 18 at the Al Qasr hotel in the Emirate. The two additional stores are expected to be opened with the help of the Moroccan-Palestinian agent who opened the first store, Arif Bin Khadra. When asked if he knows about Leviev’s involvement in construction in the West Bank, he told “Gulf News” that “such questions are not asked in the diamond world.”

Dubai has become a diamond trading center in recent years and opened its doors to Israeli businessmen as well, including Idan Ofer, but tried to keep the contacts relatively secret. However, it seems that Leviev’s public declaration has caused pro-Palestinian and perhaps business competitors to apply pressure which led to the recent statements.

A spokesperson for the Leviev brand in Israel said that Leviev has opened two flagship stores in Dubai a year ago through a local licensed businessman who got a permit for operating the stores: “We regret that commercial interests are constantly making use of political bodies to advance their interests.”