“Conflict diamonds” are defined by the Kimberley Process regulations as “rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments.” This narrow definition excludes blood diamonds that fund human rights violations by government forces. These blood diamonds evade the strictures of the Kimberley Process and are allowed to contaminate the global market labelled conflict-free – a complete fraud.

Far from ending the trade in blood diamonds Israeli is one of the biggest sources of cut and polished blood diamonds. Evidence given to the Russell Tribunal on Palestine indicated that the Israeli diamond industry generates over $1 billion/yr in funding for the Israeli military which stands accused of war crimes by the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Rather than promoting change to close the loophole in the KP that facilitates the trade in diamonds which fund human rights violations by government forces, Israeli media reported that the Israeli government was concerned that any broadening of the definition of a “conflict diamond” would ensnare diamonds that fund illegal Israel settlement in the West Bank and Israeli attacks on Gaza – the scene of numerous Israeli war crimes.

Diamonds from Israel are not conflict-free. They are blood diamonds which fund a nuclear-armed belligerent regime accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.