[Boycott - Other News] London Protest Demands Sotheby's Pay Blood Diamond Reparations For Victims Of Gaza Samouni Family Massacre - $71m Pink Star Implicated
inminds 7 April 2017
On 4th April 2017, Inminds human rights group protested outside Sotheby's in London to highlight the bloody connection between the 59.6-carat Pink Star diamond, formally known as the Steinmetz Pink, that was being auctioned at Sotheby's Hong Kong on the same day, and the massacre of 29 members of the Samouni family of Gaza in 2009. Inminds demanded Sotheby's end its partnership with Diacore, formally known as Steinmetz Diamond Group, and pay reparations to the survivors of the massacre.
The Pink Star diamond was cut and polished by the Steinmetz Diamond Group which, through the Steinmetz Foundation, funded and supported the notorious Givati Brigade of the Israeli army during Operation Cast Lead. The Givati Brigade stands accused of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The Givati Brigade is responsible for the massacre of the Samouni family in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. Eight years ago, on 4th January 2009 the Givati Brigade rounded up 100 members of the Samouni family and ordered them into the house of Wa'el Samouni. The house was then bombed, and rescue services were prevented from approaching for four days, with ambulances being fired on. When rescue workers were finally allowed access, they found buried beneath the rubble, traumatised children besides the corpses of their parents and siblings. The Givati had massacred 29 family members and in case anyone mistook their intent they left a message on one of the remaining walls of the house, daubed in Hebrew it read "The only good Arab is a dead Arab".
The Steinmetz Foundation’s website boasted of "adopting" a unit of the Givati brigade, of "fostering close relationships with the commanders and their soldiers", of "buying equipment " for them specifically during Operation Cast Lead, that is, during their slaughter of the Samouni family.
All references were however deleted from their website once it came to public attention. Before and after screenshots of their website are included on the Inminds website and leaflets.
The surviving members of the Samouni family in a video appeal have directly asked people in the UK to reject diamonds from the Steinmetz company, and hence reject diamonds from Sotheby's Diamonds.
Sotheby's Diamonds was created as a partnership between Steinmetz Diamonds Group (now called Diacore) and Sotheby's.
Inminds chair Abbas Ali said "Sotheby's through its partnership with Steinmetz is fully complicit in Israeli war crimes, in particular the massacre of the Samouni family. Whilst the survivors of the massacre are suffering in Gaza, which lacks adequate medical facilities after 10 years of siege, Sotheby's are busy focused on profiting from peddling blood diamonds. The Pink Star diamond was sold for a record $71+ million, not a penny of that will go towards relieving the suffering of the Samouni family. We are here to demand Sotheby's live up to its corporate responsibility and end its blood diamond business with Steinmetz and pay reparations to the victims!"
Video: Protest Demands Sotheby's Pay Blood Diamond Reparations For Gaza Massacre
Sotheby's Diamonds Fund War Crimes
Speech
Today the 59.6 carat Pink Star diamond is being auctioned in Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, it is expected to go for $80 million. We are here outside Sotheby’s in London to highlight the bloody connection between that diamond, formally known as the Steinmetz Pink, and the massacre of 29 members of the Samouni family of Gaza in 2009. We are here today to demand Sotheby’s end its partnership with Steinmetz Diamond Group, now known as Diacore, and pay reparations to the survivors of the massacre.
Sotheby's Diamonds, which shares this address with Sotheby’s Auction, is a “unique partnership” between Israel's Steinmetz Diamonds Group (now called Diacore) and Sotheby's.
The Pink Star diamond was cut and polished by the Steinmetz Diamond Group. The Steinmetz Diamond Group through the Steinmetz Foundation, funded and supported the notorious Givati Brigade of the Israeli army during its attack on Gaza in Operation Cast Lead in 2009. The Givati Brigade stands accused of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The Givati Brigade is responsible for the massacre of the Samouni family in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. Eight years ago, on 4th January 2009 the Givati Brigade rounded up 100 members of the Samouni family and ordered them into the house of Wa'el Samouni. The house was then bombed, and rescue services were prevented from approaching for four days, with ambulances being fired on. When rescue workers were finally allowed access, they found buried beneath the rubble, traumatised children besides the corpses of their parents and siblings. The Givati had massacred 29 family members and in case anyone mistook their intent they left a message on one of the remaining walls of the house, daubed in Hebrew it read "The only good Arab is a dead Arab".
I just want to share one example – Ahmad’s story..
Israeli soldiers entered 4 years old Ahmad Samouni's home at 6 am. They found the family huddled together in the living room. The soldiers cold bloodedly executed the father and ordered Ahmad's brothers to strip naked including their underwear. Then they sprayed the room with gun fire wounding Ahmad, his mother and his brothers. The soldiers prevented ambulances from approaching the area, shooting at them. After bleeding for 11 hours Ahmad died at 5pm in his mother's arms. He was hallucinating by then and his last words were to his brother asking him to turn on the children's tv channel. Over 29 members of the Samouni family in total were slaughtered by the Givati Brigade which is funded by Sotheby's Diamonds.
The Steinmetz Foundation’s website boasted of "adopting" a unit of the Givati brigade, of "fostering close relationships with the commanders and their soldiers", of "buying equipment " for them specifically during Operation Cast Lead, that is, during their slaughter of the Samouni family.
All references were however deleted from the website once it came to public attention -but they cant hide their guilt -we have the evidence - see the before & after screenshots of their website on our leaflet. Steinmetz, and therefore its partner , Sotheby's Diamonds, are guilty of funding war crimes.
Shame on you Sotheby's! Shame on you Sotheby's!
The surviving members of the Samouni family in a video appeal have asked people in the UK to reject diamonds from the Steinmetz company, and hence reject diamonds from Sotheby' Diamonds. When De Beers presented the Queen a Steinmetz Diamond on her Jubilee to display with the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London the survivors of the massacre sent a message to the Queen and people of England asking them to reject and remove the offensive blood diamond from display. This lead to six months of protests outside the Tower of London until the Tower indicated that the diamond was no longer on display.
Following numerous scandals from funding massacres in Gaza, to corruption and bribery changes in Guinea - the Steinmetz Diamond Group has undergone major rebranding in 2014. The tainted Steinmetz name is gone and the public facing company is now called Diacore and run by Beny Steinmetz's brother Daniel whilst Beny still runs the diamond mining back-end of the business which retains the Steinmetz's name. This charade changes nothing. Sotheby's famous Pink Star diamond crafted by Steinmetz is still a blood diamond and Sotheby's Diamonds, 50% owned by Diacore, is still embroiled in war crimes in Gaza.
The Givati Brigade were involved in Israel’s latest assault on the besieged residents of Gaza during the Summer of 2014 when over 2100 people were killed, the vast majority of them civilians including over 500 children. Diamonds that fund war crimes are Blood Diamonds.
Whilst the survivors of the massacre are suffering in Gaza, which lacks adequate medical facilities after 10 years of siege, Sotheby's are busy focused on profiting from peddling blood diamonds. Its predicted that the Pink Star will sell for $80 million, how much of that will go towards relieving the suffering of the Samouni family? We are here to demand Sotheby's live up to its corporate responsibility and end its blood diamond business with Steinmetz and pay reparations to the victims!
Sotheby's stop funding war crimes and death in Palestine!
Sotheby's immediately end your partnership with Israel's Steinmetz and Diacore !
Boycott Israeli blood diamonds!
Boycott Israeli blood diamonds!
Free Palestine!
Being in an affluent area with its exclusive clientele, the protest drew a disproportionately large, rapid response from the Metropolitan police.
Resources - leaflets and placards
Source: www.inminds.com
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