While Valentine’s Day weekend is usually a time to buy jewelry or beauty products for your spouse, Palestine solidarity activists in New York used the occasion as an impetus to further the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel.
Dozens of activists gathered outside billionaire Lev Leviev’s high-end jewelry store in Manhattan February 13, calling for a boycott of the store because Leviev’s companies construct illegal Jewish-only settlements in occupied Palestine.
And CODEPINK’s Stolen Beauty campaign—which targets beauty products made by Ahava because the company’s products exploit Palestinian natural resources and are built in an illegal settlement in the West Bank—urged activists to contact Ricky’s NYC to call on the beauty store to cease carrying products made by Ahava.
The Stolen Beauty campaign’s suggested letter to the owner of Ricky’s NYC reads in part:
It’s almost Valentine’s Day. Please have a heart! Stop carrying AHAVA Cosmetics at Ricky’s NYC.
Ahava promises “Beauty Secrets from the Dead Sea.” But wait until you hear those secrets! Because Ahava is hiding the ugly truth—its products come from stolen Palestinian natural resources in the Occupied West Bank, and are produced in the illegal settlement of Mitzpe Shalem. Don’t let the “Made in Israel” sticker fool you—when you buy Ahava you help finance the destruction of hope for a peaceful and just future for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Outside of the Leviev jewelry store at 700 Madison Ave., members of Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East, held up anti-occupation signs and chanted, “How fancy, how pretty, Leviev out of New York City!” and “Buy from Lev for Valentine, you’ll help erase more Palestine.” Humorous renderings of popular songs were turned into anti-occupation anthems: Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” became “Single BDS Ladies” complete with dancing and a chorus that sang, “it’s apartheid so you shouldn’t put a ring on it,” and “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” became “Diamond’s Are a Crime’s Best Friend." Here’s a video of three activists doing their rendition of Beyonce’s hit:
“One of the things that we do is make sure that we are outside of his store on big shopping days so that we can send a message to all of the people passing by that they shouldn’t buy from his store,” said Ryvka Zohar, a member of Adalah-NY. “The power of the BDS movement is growing and growing, especially in the past few years. One of the things that is important for us in New York is trying to figure out in what ways New Yorkers and New York institutions are implicated in this crime, and Leviev is one of the prime examples.”
The BDS campaigners passed out fliers to pedestrians and showered the store’s patrons with “boos” when they walked into the jewelry store.
It was Adalah-NY’s third annual Valentine’s Day protest against Leviev, the chairman of the investment company Africa-Israel. Leviev’s companies have constructed numerous Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank, including Mattityahu East on the village of Bil’in’s land, a place where the illegal Israeli separation wall has cut into, and the Zufim settlement, built on the village of Jayyous’ land. Leviev is also a "leader" in the Bukhara Community Trust, which is funding the construction of police headquarters in the E-1 area, which runs from East Jerusalem to the settlement of Maale Adumim, according to Yedioth Ahronoth. "[I]f Israel is able to expand the settlement of Maale Adumim to the west, the Palestinians will be unable to have territorial contiguity between the northern West Bank and southern parts of the West Bank: the future Palestinian state will remain carved and free movement of Palestinians will be possible, if at all, only through the Jordan Valley," says Yedioth.
A recent victory for the global BDS movement came when Danske Bank divested from Africa-Israel and Elbit Systems, which has provided surveillance systems for the Israeli separation wall. Adalah-NY and its allies around the world have also successfully pressured other companies and institutions to divest or renounce relationships with Leviev’s Africa-Israel. (Check out Adalah’s list of victories on their website.)
Andrew Kadi, a spokesperson for Adalah-NY, noted that Leviev was also implicated in human rights abuses in Angola related to diamond mining.
“The main point [of the action] is to let them [consumers] know that with every diamond that they get, they’re supporting Leviev’s policies of apartheid, his human rights abuses in Angola, that they’re in fact supporting someone who has been embedded with blood diamonds for at least 15 years now.”
For more information and photographs, visit adalahny.org.
Slightly off topic, but an interesting read on the historical relationship between Jewishness and finance capital. Well, it’s a bit more than that, actually.
link to nytimes.com
Yes Marc b., this is quite a sordid history. There were even times when those with money would “bequeath” the Jews with money, as if it were theirs, in order to finance whatever enterprise and say they must demand these exorbitant rates of return. Sometimes it would hinge on a twofold premise, we would get a small portion of the interest, and at the same time be assured that we would not be driven from the territory – but if not, or if it were not followed, it was time for vilification of being the devil incarnate and to be driven out. These issues were very complicated, and still cause the same problems to this day. I discussed this at one time on this site, I don’t think there were many who understood, or who had studied the issue enough, to understand what was being said.
There actually are some young ladies who are not mesmerized by shiny stones declaring their worth. I know, I married one.
Considering the miserable economic circumstances so many American citizens are in these days, here’s my valentine today to the US public, especially those who don’t give a crap about the Middle East and never give a thought to anything that does not hit them directly in the face:
“Between 2009-2018, the United States is scheduled to give Israel–the largest recipient of U.S. aid–$30 billion in military aid. Through its illegal 42-year military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip, Israel misuses U.S. weapons in violation of U.S. law to kill and injure Palestinian civilians, destroy Palestinian civilian infrastructure, blockade the Gaza Strip, and build illegal settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem.
How much of this total will your community provide? Is this a good use of your tax dollars? What else could your taxes be used for in your community?” Find out:
link to howmuchaidtoisrael.org
The web site includes a map of the USA; you can determine (by your choice, county or state) what USA citizens lose by funding the rogue state Israel
so massively (when compared to any other foreign aid recipient–especially when you consider Egypt, the second biggest recipient of foreign aid,
is basically paid to rubber stamp Israel) rather than dropping this welfare package to ungrateful Israel and spending the money on our own citizens’ welfare–here’s a sample:
Palm Beach County, Florida
Military Aid to Israel, Total FY2009-2018: $161,396,969.88
———————————————————————————–
This money could have been spent instead to:
Provide 1,960 households per year w/affordable housing grants OR
Provide 2,679 job seekers per year w/green jobs training OR
Provide 4,772 children per year w/ earlyreading education OR
Provide 130,707 people per year w/primary health care.
Thus, although an hasbara tactic is to tell you that the few bucks to Israel (without strings)
is peanuts, to make you look petty and anti-semitic), please consider that even though the average tax-payer will pay $19.19 in military aid to Israel in 2010, the tax paying multiplier is huge
in terms of depriving USA citizens of funds to
take care of average Americans.
And, what other country is given the largest share of US tax dollars despite the fact they constantly violate US foreign policy–and Israel is the only one who gets the largest share of our foreign aid without any strings attached.
Time to send a valentine to the rest of the world and ourself. That would be stepping back from the special relationship with Israel.
Thanks Citizen. I’d like to see an “Israel Tax Resistance,” similar to war tax resistance. Hold back the $19.19 that goes to Israel and donate it to a Palestinian relief fund, or something similar.
I’ve intentionally earned less than the taxable income the last few years, so I haven’t done this myself, but if I ever rejoin the rat race (a long shot), I will surely withhold taxes that go to war and to Israeli aid. I can’t live with myself otherwise.
link to warresisters.org
link to nwtrcc.org
In previous years, prominent Zionists made a point of being photographed coming out of Lev’s shop, smirking, with a bag in their hand supposedly containing jewels.
I remember Dershowitz doing that. There’s a vid on youtube of it. Then again, it’s Dershowitz – so unsurprising.
Wouldn’t be surprised if the bag was empty
you guys are so silly, its almost cute.
Anyone else hear that Nelson character from the Simpsons whenever they read yonira’s posts? I do.
Ha ha!
That’s Nelson’s catch-phrase. He revels in others’ misery.
great post alex, a big thanks and happy bsd valentine’s day to you
Here’s a video of three activists doing their rendition of Beyonce’s hit:
where? i want to watch it.
Woops, sorry it didn’t show up in the article.
It’s here: link to youtube.com
thank you alex..awesome video!
btw, did you place the ‘embedded’ url in the text? the one that starts and ends w/’object’ in the upper right hand box @ the you tube link?
For annie, alex and all lovers of musical comedy:
link to youtube.com
lol, thank you taxi. this is a fun way to start my day.
annie, check out other youtube videos of the DAN BAND.
They really are the funniest!
The video kept pausing, then resuming. Anyway, here’s a follow-up, spreading the word–thanks to Mondoweiss:
link to indypendent.org
BTW, I hope it’s OK to say those young BDS ladies in the Beyonce parody video are attractive. It’s like a bonus. Zionist Hollywood is getting some competition? Cf: Avatar.
i noticed that too. this movement is very happening, the beautiful people are part of it.
they were pretty.
Oh come on – be honest!
One was gorgeous, the other was pretty and the third was, well… naah.
Ick, wish I wouldn’t have watched it a second time with the sound!
Definitely not a Zionist production.
Insofar as nobody was shouted down or labeled an anti-Semite, I suppose.
I am glad there is more information on the links regarding misconceptions of the Kimberley Process, which has nothing to do with the gross exploitation of the natural and human resources of Africa which continue unabated. Than doubling the atrocity by building illegal settlements in Israel. What is it like to live in a rarefied air like this? You even see Jewish people from South Africa trying to cash in on Palestinian land, wasn’t the debacle of SA apartheid enough for them? Apparently not.
I remember somewhere seeing this SA Jewish anti-Apartheid activist hugging Mandela. She looked really strange actually. Her eyes were closed, and it was a deep hug. Plus, because she was much shorter than him, it was just a funny juxtaposition. Mousy-looking woman.
Anyways, the lady turned out to be a hardcore Zio, and for a Jewish State in Palestine and for the occupation/colonization.
I don’t judge people based on an image. Although, it’s a superficiality that you sometimes assume of people.
…Leviev was also implicated in human rights abuses in Angola related to diamond mining.
Surprise surprise.
Just saw the videos on YouTube. Cute.
We are all trying to gain something back, something that has been stolen. In this sense we are the collective victims, so we strive to regain what has been taken –
STOLEN
Nowhere is untouched by the shame
Who said we could get by with our childhood games
Days of innocence are all long gone
Avoid the shock honey and try to live on
Woke up all paralyzed
All dreams corrupted in front of our eyes
Cause on every forehead of every little whore
There’s a sign that says, ‘baby don’t come back no more’
Distasteful ugly and cheap
That is how you make me feel, I said
Capitalism stole my virginity
Capitalism stole, capitalism stole
Capitalism stole my virginity
Robbed out of our bleeding hearts
Smashed our illusions, tore them all apart
Now we are unsentimental and unafraid
To destroy this culture that we hate
Sort of tired of being nothing
When, when we should be everything
On every forehead of every little whore
There’s a sign that says, ‘baby we’re all born to die’
Distasteful ugly and cheap
That is how you make me feel, I said
Capitalism stole my virginity
Capitalism stole, capitalism stole
Capitalism stole – yeah
We are all sluts, cheap products
In someone else’s notebook
We are all sluts, cheap products
In someone else’s notebook
We are all sluts, cheap products
In someone else’s notebook
We are all sluts, cheap products
In someone else’s notebook
Distasteful ugly and cheap
That is how you make me feel, I said
Capitalism stole my virginity
Capitalism stole, capitalism stole
Capitalism stole my virginity, oh
Capitalism stole, capitalism stole
Capitalism stole my virginity, oh yeah
Capitalism stole, capitalism stole
Capitalism stole my virginity, oh”
Israel’s growing war on solidarity civil rights protesters:
link to counterpunch.org
Nothing about it in the USA MSM.
Excellent video revealing American media working to continually keep the American masses
ignorant of the basic facts concerning the on-going I-P situation for over 40 years:
link to video.google.com
The video also breaks down the operating principles behind Israel’s PR program, and shows these principles in operation.
It’s an hour and ten minutes long.
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