This is to all people who want to help the Palestinian people and help end Israel's brutal occupation.
Many people are angry about Israel's crimes but feel helpless and don't know what to do. One important thing to do is to never buy a diamond. Israel is the world's leading exporter of cut, polished diamonds. They import the rough diamonds from countries like South Africa, Sierra Leone, Angola, and cut them by machine in Tel Aviv or other parts of Israel. These polished diamonds are then sold to the rest of the world, mainly to the U.S., and they make up a huge portion of Israel's economy from exports, estimated by some to make up one third of their total exports.
Here are the words of an Israeli government website at http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH07si0 : "Israel’s largest export industry, polished diamonds, is increasingly using high-tech processes. The country is the world’s largest manufacturer of polished diamonds with over $5 billion of such diamonds exported in 1996 and $3.4 billion in the first half of 1997." According to the CIA World Factbook at http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/is.html , cut diamonds are indeed one of the top exports of Israel. So the best thing for everyone with a conscience around the world to do is to simply stop buying diamonds along with other Israeli products, until they start abiding by international law and stop occupying Arab land.
A marriage does not have to be sealed with a diamond ring. A boycott of Israeli goods such as this is the best way for normal civilians like us to pressure Israel into ending its oppressive occupation. A similar boycott by many nations against South Africa in the 1980's forced that nation to end its Apartheid regime. Now it is Israel's turn. For more info. on Israel's diamond business, please read this excellent article written in the Christian Science Monitor by Nicole Gaouette at:
www.csmonitor.com/2002/0221/p01s03-wome.html
Sincerely,
Mohammad H
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