| Campaign information from | |
From: _Architects & Planners for Justice in Palestine_ (http://apjp.org/) ,
the village of _Bil’in_ (http://www.bilin-village.org/) , the village of
Jayyous, _Palestinian Boycott National Committee_
(http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/126) , _Adalah-NY_
(http://www.adalahny.org/)
September 10, 2008 -
The UK Guardian’s 'Comment is Free' posted an article on September 9,
_The wrong message to Israel_
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/09/israelandthepalestinian
s.foreignpolicy) , by Abe Hayeem, a founding member of Architects &
Planners for Justice in Palestine, calling on the UK government to revoke
plans to rent its new embassy in Tel Aviv from Israeli-settlement mogul Lev
Leviev. Please contact the UK’s Embassy in Tel Aviv, UK Consulate in
Jerusalem, the Foreign Secretary and the Minister of State for the Middle
East (contact info below) and demand that they take a firm stand against
Israeli settlements and not reward Leviev with UK taxpayers’ money.
Abe Hayeem’s article notes:
“When Britain's prime minister, Gordon Brown, visited Ramallah in mid-July,
he _told_ (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,386785,00.html) the
Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas: ‘We want to see a freeze on
settlements. Settlement expansion has made peace harder to achieve. It
erodes trust, it heightens Palestinian suffering, it makes the compromises
Israel needs to make for peace more difficult.’"
“In that case, the decision by the British government to _rent space_
(http://www.ibcc.co.il/news.htm#9) for our new embassy in Tel Aviv from
the Africa-Israel Investments company chaired by businessman Lev Leviev
sends precisely the wrong message.
Leviev, a Russian-Israeli real estate and diamond billionaire who recently
became a UK resident, is also a major settlement builder. Danya Cebus, a
subsidiary of Leviev's Africa-Israel group, has built homes in three West
Bank settlements - Mattityahu East, Har Homa, and _Ma'ale Adumim_
(http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9235.shtml) .”
“Additionally, Leviev is a _major donor_
(http://adalahny.org/index.php/boycott-against-land-developers-leviev?start=
3) to the Land Redemption Fund (LRF), which is affiliated with the radical
fundamentalist _Gush Emunim_ (http://www.cactus48.com/fundamentalism.html)
settler movement. The LRF uses highly questionable methods to secure
Palestinian land for Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, in clear
violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva convention.”
“The settlement of Mattityahu East along with Israel's wall, which was
built mostly inside the occupied West Bank to grab land for settlements,
seizes 50% of the village of Bil'in's land, including olive groves that its
residents have relied on for centuries. Leviev's Zufim settlement, again
along with Israel's Wall, seizes as much as two-thirds of the village of
Jayyous' agricultural land and six wells, effectively annexing one of the
West Bank's most fertile agricultural zones. Since 2002, residents of
Bil'in and Jayyous have held more than 250 _nonviolent protests_
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/09/israelandthepalestinian
s.foreignpolicy/|http:/www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2003-08-17-o
mar_x.htm) , with the support of Israeli and international activists, in an
effort to save their land….”
“Rewarding Leviev with the contract for our new embassy shows that Her
Majesty's government is not serious about stopping Israeli settlements.
Rather than mouthing admirable but empty platitudes about freezing
settlements, for the sake of all Israelis and Palestinians, let us apply
serious sanctions to stop Israel expanding illegal settlements and the
Wall, and take our business elsewhere.”
Please write and/or call the representatives of the UK government below,
and demand that the UK not rent its Embassy from Leviev. _Oxfam_
(http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=24554) and _UNICEF_
(http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2047885820080620?feedType=RSS
&feedName=worldNews) have already rejected support from Leviev due to his
companies’ settlement construction in violation of international law. Please
send a copy of your message and/or information on your phone call to
_levievukembassy@adalahny.org_
(mailto:levievukembassy@adalahny.org) so that we can compile them all.
IN THE UK
MP David Milliband, the Foreign Secretary
Phone: +44 (0)191 456 8910
Email: _milibandd@parliament.uk_ (mailto:milibandd@parliament.uk) and
private.office@fco.gov.uk
MP Kim Howells, Minister of State for the Middle East
Phone: +44 (0)20 7270 1500
Email: howellsk@parliament.co.uk
IN TEL AVIV
UK Ambassador Tom Phillips
Phone: +972 (0)3 725 1222
Fax: +972 (0)3 527 8574
Email: _webmaster.telaviv@fco.gov.uk_ (mailto:webmaster.telaviv@fco.gov.uk)
IN JERUSALEM
Consul-General: Richard Edward Makepeace
Phone: +972-(0)2-541-4100/41
Fax: +972-(0)2-532-2368 / +972-2-541-4157
Email: britain.jerusalem@fco.gov.uk
See also: Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights Letter to David Miliband