January 15, 2012 - US-made tear gas, manufactured by companies like Combined Systems Inc. (CSI), Defense Technology, and NonLethal Technologies, continues to be used by governments including Egypt, Israel, Yemen, Bahrain and the United States to repress popular protest movements for economic and social justice.
Strong evidence that CSI canister killed Palestinian protester Mustafa Tamimi: On December 9, 2011, in the village of Nabi Saleh in the West Bank an Israeli soldier inside an armored military jeep fired a tear gas canister at close range directly at the face of Palestinian protester Mustafa Tamimi during a protest against the expansion of Israeli settlements on Nabi Saleh’s land. Mustafa died from his wounds the next day. Protesters did not manage to collect the actual tear gas canister fired at him. However, residents of Nabi Saleh have collected samples of the types of tear gas canisters that the Israeli army uses against Nabi Saleh’s weekly protests, including the specific type of tear gas canister - same size and shape - that hit Mustafa. The type of canister that killed Mustafa can be seen in the January 11 and 13, 2012, photos below taken in Nabi Saleh by Bilal Tamimi. The canister has a headstamp on it that reads CTS. CTS stands for Combined Tactical Systems, a brand name of Combined Systems Inc., in Jamestown, PA. Adalah-NY received these photos from the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee.
January 6, 2012, New York, NY – In a letter today, the Land Defense Committee from the West Bank village of Jayyous implored fashion icon Daphne Guinness, New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) not to “help Lev Leviev to whitewash his illegal settlements on Jayyous’ farmland.” An exhibit of Daphne Guinness’ clothes at the FIT Museum, funded by diamond and settlement mogul Lev Leviev, is closing on January 7th, as scheduled after almost four months. Leviev has also recently donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
In November 21 and December 8 letters, a coalition of US and UK human rights groups, including Adalah-NY, CODEPINK: Women for Peace and Jewish Voice for Peace, called on Daphne Guinness, FIT and BCRF to distance themselves from Leviev. The groups cited Leviev’s companies’ development of Israeli settlements in violation of international law, and involvement in human rights abuses and unethical business practices in the diamond industry in Angola and Namibia.
New York, NY, December 17, 2011 – Sixty New Yorkers sang parody holiday carols calling for a boycott of Israeli settlement-developer and diamond magnate Lev Leviev this afternoon outside Leviev’s Madison Avenue jewelry store. Twenty-five protesters continued on to the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) where they sang, chanted and distributed flyers in front of Daphne Guinness’ clothing exhibition there, which is sponsored by “Leviev Extraordinary Diamonds.”
Outside Leviev’s high-end Madison Avenue jewelry store, the carolers, many wearing Santa hats, greeted holiday shoppers for the fifth consecutive year with favorites from the Anti-Apartheid Caroling Songbook including, “We Wish You a Loss of Business” (“We Wish You a Merry Christmas”), “Oh, Boycott, Boycott, Boycott” (“Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel”), and “Lev We All Can see the Folly” (“Deck the Halls”). They sang new songs, including “Lev’s Dirty Rocks” (“Jingle Bell Rocks”) and “Diamond Mines” (“Silver Bells”). To the tune of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” they recognized West Bank communities like Bil’in, Jayyous and Nabi Saleh that are protesting Israel’s seizure of their land for settlements, and sang:
December 8, 2011, New York, NY – Fashion icon Daphne Guinness, New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) were emailed follow-up letters this morning with comprehensive new documentation explaining why they should distance themselves from controversial Israeli diamond and settlement mogul Lev Leviev (see letters below). Today's letters followed upon initial November 21 letters from the same US and UK human rights groups calling on Guinness, FIT and BCRF to sever ties with Leviev over his companies’ Israeli settlement development and unethical business practices in the diamond industry in Angola and Namibia.
In an email response and phone calls to Adalah-NY two weeks ago, and discussions with reporters last week, Daphne Guinness, FIT and BCRF indicated that they were all looking into the issues raised in the initial November 21 letters. According to a November 29 report in report in Women’s Wear Daily FIT had said that it “needs some time to make a decision and is pursuing the matter very actively.” Neither Guinness, FIT or BCRF has commented since.
New York, NY – Fashion icon Daphne Guinness and New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) have been asked by US and UK human rights groups to sever their ties with Israeli diamond and settlement mogul Lev Leviev. Representatives for FIT and Guinness responded that they are taking into account the groups’ concerns, but have not explained how, nor given any timeframe for a more specific response.
Announcements and posters for the exhibition of Guinness’ clothes at the Museum at FIT note that the exhibition "has been made possible in part through the generosity of LEVIEV Extraordinary Diamonds." Leviev also hosted a September 12 event celebrating Guinness and FIT’s Couture Council that Guinness attended, apparently at his New York City jewelry store.
The groups also called on the US charity the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which also recently accepted funds from Leviev, to distance itself from him. Leviev has touted his support for FIT and BCRF in the media, calling the grants the first in "a broad based initiative that will benefit a variety of local and international charities."
July 19, New York, NY – At rush hour Tuesday in midtown Manhattan, seventy-five New Yorkers from diverse backgrounds protested outside the headquarters of US retirement-fund giant TIAA-CREF, demanding that it end its investment in the Israeli occupation. The New York demonstration is a part of national divestment campaign initiated by Jewish Voice for Peace which saw similar actions in twenty cities nationwide marking the day of TIAA-CREF’s annual shareholder meeting, held this year in Charlotte, NC.
According to reports from Charlotte, the TIAA-CREF shareholder meeting was dominated by discussions about divestment from Israel, despite TIAA-CREF’s quashing of a shareholder resolution on the issue. Last week Israel sparked worldwide controversy by passing an anti-boycott law in an attempt to stop divestment efforts like the TIAA-CREF campaign by making support of boycotts a punishable offense.
