"Israeli" Settlement financier to sell jewelry at Dubai hotel despite ban
Adalah-NY has learned that the jewelry of ‘Israeli' billionaire and settlement-builder Lev Leviev will be on sale at this week's gala opening of the luxury hotel Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai. Despite Leviev's ongoing construction of ‘Israeli' settlements and claims by United Arab Emirates officials that Leviev would receive no license to sell his jewelry there, the New York-based human rights coalition Adalah-NY has confirmed that Leviev's jewelry will be on sale at the Atlantis branch of the Levant Jewelry chain on the fabled Palm Jumeirah Island.
Adalah-NY has also heard from a Dubai source that Leviev will attend the grand opening events in person, but the group has been unable to corroborate this report. A press release on the Atlantis website claims that the opening gala, set for 20-21 November, "will culminate in a giant fireworks display," and that guests will include "prominent CEO's, business leaders, politicians, actors and musicians and members of the Dubai Royal family."
Adalah-NY has obtained photos of Leviev jewelry prominently displayed in the windows of the Levant store at the Atlantis, with Leviev's name and logo prominently printed on display cases. Leviev's jewelry and logo are featured at the Levant store at the Al Qasr Hotel. Leviev notes Dubai as a store location on the front of his Madison Avenue boutique in New York, and in recent Leviev ads in The New York Times.
Prior to an advocacy campaign by Adalah-NY and Jews Against the Occupation-NYC, Leviev had announced plans to open in Dubai two Leviev stores and sell his products in a third store in partnership with his local partner, Arif Ben-Khadra, who is of Palestinian-Moroccan origin.
Subsequently, in a 30 April article in Dubai's Gulf News, Ali Ebrahim, Deputy Director General for Executive Affairs in Dubai, said Leviev would not be able to do business in Dubai. "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," said Ebrahim. Further, Ebrahim told the paper that ‘Israeli' citizens (occupation settlers) were not allowed to do business in Dubai, and that "precautionary measures" made sure of that. Ebrahim further implied Leviev would not be able to do business through a local partner. "There are no loopholes," he said. "We check backgrounds of businesses that apply."
Leviev built his enormous fortune trading diamonds with Apartheid-era South Africa. His company mines diamonds in partnership with the repressive Angolan government. New York Magazine reported in 2007 that in Angola, "A security company contracted by Leviev was accused ... of participating in practices of 'humiliation, whipping, torture, sexual abuse, and, in some cases, assassinations.'" Also, according to the diamond industry watchdog Partnership Africa Canada, Angola and Leviev have failed to fully comply with the Kimberley Process.
In the West Bank, Leviev's companies build ‘Israeli'-only settlements such as Maaleh Adumim, Mattityahu East and Zufim on stolen Palestinian land. According to Stop the Wall, Leviev is currently expanding Zufim settlement by 45 housing units on land owned by the village of Jayyous. Jayyous continues to hold nonviolent protests against the confiscation of their land. All ‘Israeli' settlements are illegal under international law. The UN children's agency, UNICEF and social justice coalition Oxfam have both rejected support from Leviev due to his human rights violations, and the British government is under pressure to pull put of a deal to rent their new Tel Aviv embassy from him.
Daniel Lang/Levitsky of Adalah-NY stated that "Dubai claimed that it has closed all the loopholes, but we have seen that to be glaringly false. Leviev jewelry will be prominently displayed and sold at a major hotel in Dubai. By allowing such a blatant contravention of its own laws, Dubai has made a mockery of its promise to boycott Leviev. The villagers of Jayyous and Bilin, on whose stolen land Leviev's settlements sit, will be saddened and outraged, as will be human rights advocates worldwide."
British orders charity aiding Palestinian refugees to close
Meanwhile, Interpal, a British charity providing development and relief for Palestinians in the ‘Israeli'-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, has been served notification from the Islamic Bank of Britain (IBB) that the charity's account will be closed as of 8 December. This comes as a result of Lloyds TSB, the Islamic Bank's clearing bank, serving notice to "cease all dealings with Interpal," according to a statement released by the charity.
The notice comes into effect as of 8 December 2008, during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, a time when Muslims are encouraged to give charity.
The charity said "all transactions into or out of Interpal accounts will be blocked and IBB will be at further risk of all its customer payments being suspended," also stating: "This is not only an attack on Interpal, a leading British charity, but on all other Muslim charities, all charities working in politically-sensitive regions, all customers of IBB and the Palestinian people, 80 percent of whom are completely dependent on international aid for survival."
The decision to close Interpal accounts comes at a time when the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA was forced to suspend food distribution earlier this week, due to ‘Israel's' continued Gaza border closures preventing the delivery of vital supplies to Gaza's 1.5 million residents. "Fuel pipelines remained closed, leaving Gaza with continued disruptions to its power supplies and adding to the rapid decline of socio-economic conditions" according to the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process.
In September this year a World Bank report warned that the continued restrictions placed on the Palestinians by ‘Israel' was severely limiting the Palestinian economy and making Palestinians even more dependent on foreign aid.
The Islamic Bank of Britain said that it would "not comment on individual accounts" and Lloyds TSB offered a similar response stating "we do not comment on our relationship with corporate customers."
Muslim groups responded with anger. The Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPACUK) said "Lloyds TSB have shown how much they value their Muslim customers by demanding that IBB terminate Interpal's banking facilities" and encouraged people to write and phone Lloyds TSB demanding that they "rescind this outrageous, unfair and arbitrary decision."
The Muslim Council of Britain, a national representative umbrella organization, said they had written to Lloyds TSB saying the decision was "causing the MCB and the Muslim community tremendous concern and anxiety" and added that they "deplore the pressure that has been placed on IBB to close down the Interpal account."
The MCB also sent out a warning to Lloyds TSB referring to the "significant number of Muslim account holders" the bank possesses and the fact that Lloyds TSB has been "reaching out for business for its shariah compliant current account" adding "If banking services to Interpal are not reinstated, then this will inevitably influence the actions of its existing and future customer base." However MCB refrained from stating exactly what action they would take in the event of Interpal's account being closed.
Interpal has faced numerous accusations since it was established in 1994. In 2003 the United States government designated Interpal a terrorist entity accusing the charity of funding the Palestinian group Hamas, but the United Kingdom charity commission found no links to terrorism stating: "The American authorities were unable to provide evidence to support their allegations."
In 2007 NATWEST closed the charities account citing pressure from the law suit bought by 14 families of ‘Israeli' suicide bomb victims. The claim was bought against the Royal Bank of Scotland, NATWEST's parent group, under the US Anti-Terrorism Act.
