Israel Diamond Companies!!

Sean Clinton:  "We have marched, protested, petitioned, talked, boycotted and rallied but nothing has brought change on the ground in Palestine.  We need to attack the regime where it is most vulnerable and where we have far the stronger hand.

The infrastructure of domination - soldiers, tanks, ships, planes, bombs and bullets costs the Israeli economy dearly – c. $20bn/yr including $3bn in US military aid.  The Israeli economy is THE main source of that funding.

The service industry (tourism, finance, insurance, trades, small business etc) accounts for 60% of Israel’s GDP.  Manufacturing accounts for 40%.
Electronics, arms and pharmaceutical account for 13.5%, 10% and 9% respectively of manufacturing exports.

DIAMONDS ACCOUNT FOR 30% OF MANUFACTURING EXPORTS
Israel is a net importer of goods so manufacturing exports are critically important to the economy.  Damage to the Israeli diamond industry would have serious direct and indirect repercussions for the economy – akin to those outlined in the Rand report, one of the authors of which confirmed to me they didn’t consider the potential impact of BDS on Israel’s diamond industry.
This can happen rapidly if buyers lose confidence in the Israeli diamond brand. Exports crashed by 80% in first three months of 2012 when buyers stayed away from Tel Aviv due to financial fraud scandal. Note that Israel doesn’t sell diamonds directly to the public or to jewellers – companies in the middle distribute Israeli diamond through five global trading hubs.
A handful of public companies with onerous legal disclosure responsibilities for shareholders and investors are primarily responsible for the distribution and sale of Israeli diamonds. They, and the global diamond/jewellery industry, cannot afford to have their brand images tarnished by association with Israeli human rights violations and blood diamonds. They have zero defence when challenged. If they try to defend themselves they draw attention to the fact. If they remain silent they appear to have something to hide.
New York is Israel’s most important diamond trading hub. The US market accounts for 40% of global diamond sales. 50% of diamonds sold in US come from Israel.

Israeli diamond companies will showcase $billions of Israeli blood diamonds at an Israeli Diamond Fair in New York 19-22 Oct.
Nothing could be more damaging for the Israeli economy and the global diamond industry than to protest and  highlight this trade in diamonds that generate $1bn/yr in funding for the war criminals of the Israeli military...especially now at this time of turmoil and violence in Palestine.
I know FOR A FACT that leaders of the global diamond industry have held a conference call about the threat posed by the diamond boycott campaign. I know that they decided to ignore  completely so as not to draw attention as they mistakenly did previously when a Retail Jeweller magazine published a letter of mine.

Diamonds are media magnets. When you bring diamonds into the Israeli/Palestine mix you draw in a whole new audience and get attention. Diamond buyers are already primed to reject blood diamonds – we just need to expose the charade of so-called conflict-free diamonds from Israel. Middle men in the diamond industry can and will buy diamonds from India or China if they sense Israeli diamonds are tarnished goods.
We need solidarity activists in New York to organise a protest outside the diamond fair next week.  Can anyone persuade activists in New York to take this on?

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fourth-edition-of-israel-diamond-week-in-new-york-is-coming-soon-300152068.html