Thursday, November 27, 2008

Surprise, Surprise!.....A Palestinian is Leviev's Partner in Dubai


By Adalah-NY
Palestine Chronicle

"As Lev Leviev’s diamonds went on sale in Dubai’s newly opened Atlantis hotel in the Levant jewelry store, owned by Palestinian-Moroccan Arif Bin Khadra, Adalah-NY released a letter today in Arabic and English from the West Bank villages of Bil’in and Jayyous imploring the Khadra family to end their relative’s partnership with Leviev. The Israeli billionaire’s companies are building settlements on the villages’ land. The September 27 letter from Bil’in and Jayyous said that Arif Bin Khadra’s Dubai business partnership with Leviev “betrays the Palestinian cause and is an insult to the sacrifices and pain of our people.”

The villages of Bil’in and Jayyous are awaiting a response to the letter that was delivered to leaders of the Khadra family in Damascus, Syria in late September. The letter requests the Khadra family “take a firm stand against your son’s betrayal of our people and against working in the service of the occupier that violates the rights of his people and appropriates their land.” The Khadra family is Palestinian, and said to number in the tens of thousands, spread throughout the Arab world, many as refugees from Palestine.

The letter notes Leviev’s companies’ construction of Zufim settlement on the village of Jayyous’ land, Mattityahu East settlement on Bil’in’s land, as well as the strategic settlements of Har Homa and Maale Adumim. Arif Ben Khadra, according to the villages’ letter, “effectively contributes to the campaign against our villages and aids the Israeli occupation” through his Dubai diamond partnership with Leviev. The letter adds, “It is shameful that the campaign by Palestinian and Jewish activists working to bar Leviev from entering Dubai’s markets to increase his profits and from building additional settlements is being undermined by your son, who spares no effort to facilitate Leviev’s access to consumers in Dubai.”......"

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