Help rescue American Jewry! Tomorrow at 1 p.m., at 63d and Madison, there will be another protest at Leviev, the fancy diamond mart lately opened by Lev Leviev, a leading backer of the illegal settlers’ movement in Palestine. Adalah-N.Y., the human-rights group, will be doing Palestinian dances outside the store, and also bringing in a band to celebrate Hanukah. Wonderful; makes me love being Jewish again.
Leviev has been open for three weeks, and Adalah’s protests are getting to him. He’s responded to their statements in a trade publication.
Leviev's representatives asserted in a November
21 National Jeweler Network article that the
protesters are not aware of Leviev's worldwide
humanitarian work. However, according to Ethan
Heitner of Adalah-NY, "Leviev's philanthropy in
other parts of the world is small compensation
for his contribution to inflaming arguably the
world's most important political conflict. While
Leviev touts his charitable donations to UNICEF
and Oxfam, up to 50% of the Palestinian farming
village of Jayyous, where Leviev is building the
settlement Zufim, is now receiving food aid,
according to the Financial Times."
