A member of the Israel Business Leaders Delegation confronts protesters (Photo: Bud Korotzer)
From a Friday, December 4 Adalah-NY press release:
New York City human rights advocates caught the Israel Business Leaders Delegation to the United States by surprise this morning with a noisy protest outside their “breakfast reception amidst the Leviev jewelry collection” at the Leviev store on Madison Avenue. Groups worldwide have conducted a successful campaign for the boycott of Leviev’s companies due to their involvement in Israeli settlement construction in violation of international law, and human rights abuses in the diamond industry in Angola.
In addition to businesspeople, among the guests present at the breakfast was TV personality Dr. Ruth Westheimer who tried unsuccessfully to avoid notice as she left. Guests watched from the second floor of Leviev’s store as protesters chanted and sang outside. Some attempted to defend Israel’s dismal human rights record when they left. The protest came as Leviev is struggling in court in Israel to save his company Africa-Israel from bankruptcy and from creditors, and to retain ownership.
Ethan Heitner from Adalah-NY explained, “By holding this breakfast at Leviev, the Israel Business Leaders Delegation and the American-Israel Friendship League have endorsed Israeli settlements. People should not be attending lavish breakfasts hosted by Leviev when his settlements are cutting off Palestinian villages from their farmland and impoverishing them, and Palestinian activists like Mohammad Othman from Jayyous are being imprisoned for protesting against them.”
The breakfast at Leviev’s store came at the end of a three-day New York program for the delegation, organized by the America-Israel Friendship League that featured business and government VIPs from Israel and the US, including guest speakers like AOL CEO Tim Armstrong, Loews President James Tisch, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren, and Israeli Government Ministers Gideon Sa’ar and Uzi Landau.
I attended the protest as well. I think the release sums it up well. The broader point is the incredible level of access this Israeli delegation had to business and government leaders like AOL CEO Tim Armstrong, Loews President James Tisch, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and the thin line between these figures and someone involved in settlement construction like Lev Leviev. It should be noted that James Tisch’s name has come up on this site before as a donor to the Central Fund for Israel, which also supports the settlers.
On a side note, it was entertaining to see Dr. Ruth get wisked away into a waiting limo (and them come back after she forgot her purse). The blurry photo to the right is the only one I got.
This is good. They should feel the shame. They should have to slink in and out of these events with a bag over their heads.
@potsherd
I agree with your sentiments. These people should have to deal with the same problems as , for example, an Iranian business delegation.
To hold a celebratory breakfast in Leviev’s flagship market stall is particularly nasty.
Can anyone identify the aggressive male in the first photo?
How many people protested?
And was their average age 76?
Why that number? What does this have to do with your IQ?
RE: “And was their average age 76?”
MY COMMENT: Bless their hearts, whatever the chronological age! Many “younger” folks are too preoccupied (or fear risking damage to their careers) to bother with taking a stand for human rights.
It’s all of a piece. Domestic or foreign affairs.
The POV is that the dirty masses must simply believe as they are sheeple and have no
good information, so they must believe their betters:
Here we are on what average Americans must accept regarding monetary policy, and you should also agree on zionist belief in your foreign policy:
link to huffingtonpost.com
Pingback: Israeli business leaders delegation gets a New York welcome 7Dec09