Correcting media reports, Oxfam says received no support from Leviev, condemns Israeli settlements
Adalah-NY Contact: [email protected]
New York, NY, Jan 14, 2008 – Correcting earlier media reports of a relationship between Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev and Oxfam, Oxfam told the New York City human rights group Adalah-NY that "Leviev has not been a donor to Oxfam." Oxfam explained that it does not "knowingly accept funds from any business involved in any illegal activity, or operating in any illegally occupied territory, including settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories." Following reports that Leviev contributes to Oxfam in Women’s Wear Daily, Lifestyles Magazine and on the news site of the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS, of which Leviev is the President, Adalah-NY had written to Oxfam asking the international charity to reject contributions from Leviev. There was no immediate explanation of why these publications had reported that Leviev supported Oxfam.
Adalah-NY began a boycott campaign focusing on Israeli diamond mogul Lev Leviev due to his companies’ settlement construction in the Occupied West Bank in violation of international law, and his abuse of marginalized communities in Angola and New York City. Adalah-NY has conducted five protests over two months at Leviev’s new Madison Avenue jewelry store. In December, US actress Susan Sarandon was asked to cut ties with Leviev by the West Bank villages of Bil’in and Jayyous where Leviev is building settlements, the US organization Jewish Voice for Peace, Israel’s Coalition of Women for Peace, and leading Palestinian civil society organizations.
A September 5, 2007 article in Women’s Wear Daily on Leviev claimed that Leviev is "a philanthropist" who is involved with "Oxfam America," among others. A December 28, 2007 article in Lifestyles Magazine about Leviev, entitled "The Benefactor" noted that Leviev’s "philanthropic activities" touched US charities including "Oxfam America." The Lifestyles Magazine article, including the claim of ties to Oxfam America, was also posted on the news site of Leviev’s Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS.
Following these media reports, Adalah-NY sent a January 8 open letter to Oxfam noting that Leviev had been "touting his charitable contributions to Oxfam to deflect scrutiny from his violations of international law and his role in the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories." Citing settlement construction by Leviev’s companies, his company’s complicity in cutting the fuel supply to the Gaza Strip, and his companies’ violations in Angola and in New York City, Adalah-NY called on Oxfam "to raise your prominent voice in bringing to light Leviev’s unlawful and unethical activities." (The full letter to Oxfam: http://www.mideastjustice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=144&Itemid=74#_edn1. )
January 11 emails to Adalah-NY from Alex Renton of Oxfam Great Britain and Adrienne Smith of Oxfam America responded that: "Contrary to various citations, Lev Leviev is not a donor to Oxfam America and has never been one. To the best of our knowledge Mr. Leviev has not been a donor to Oxfam or any of its affiliates. Oxfam International is an organization of 13 national affiliates working in 100 countries, and we are checking thoroughly whether any Oxfam has had any relationship with Mr. Leviev."
"Oxfam’s policies on donations, corporate and private, are clear. We don’t knowingly accept funds from any business involved in any illegal activity, or operating in any illegally occupied territory, including settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Oxfam abides by international humanitarian law, and thus has a long-standing policy of opposition to such settlements." Oxfam’s response was also posted on the Israeli website www.kibush.co.il and on the UK website www.bigcampaign.org.uk/.
Adalah-NY spokesperson Ethan Heitner commented, "We are unable to explain why articles praising Leviev and touting his charitable contributions, including an article on the news site of an organization he heads, claimed a link with Oxfam which Oxfam has now verified doesn’t exist. We are gratified that Oxfam has reiterated its longstanding opposition to Israeli settlement construction and refusal to accept donations from businesses like Leviev’s that are involved in violations of international law."
Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East: www.mideastjustice.org
January 12, 2008 Update from Adalah-NY: Open Letter to Oxfam on Lev Leviev
Adalah-NY confirmed yesterday with Oxfam America and Oxfam Great Britian that, contrary to reports in a number of print and on-line publications, Israeli billionaire and settlement-builder Lev Leviev is not and has never been a donor to any of the Oxfam member organizations.
Reports that Leviev was an Oxfam donor first appeared in sources such as Women’s Wear Daily, Lifestyles Magazine, and on the website of the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS of which Leviev is the President. Oxfam stated in conversations with Adalah-NY that it had conducted extensive searches of its records and confirmed that such reports are incorrect.
Adalah-NY is continuing to investigate the matter and will issue further updates as our understanding of the matter develops.
———————————————
Mr. Mark Bailey
Oxfam International
Occupied
January 8, 2008
Dear Mr. Bailey:
Recognizing Oxfam’s admirable efforts in defense of human rights and justice worldwide, it is with concern we bring to your attention that Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev is touting his charitable contributions to Oxfam[i] to deflect scrutiny from his violations of international law and his role in the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian territories.
As Oxfam has acknowledged, all of
Leviev is also a primary donor to the right-wing Land Redemption Fund according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.[xii] The Land Redemption Fund allegedly uses fraud and strong-arm tactics to extort land from Palestinians for settlement expansion.
In addition to his development of illegal Israeli settlements, Mr. Leviev is implicated in the worsening humanitarian conditions in
While Adalah-NY applauds Oxfam for holding the Israeli government accountable for the crisis in
"The current gas and diesel shortage in
Further implicating Dor Energy, a November 6 article in Ha’aretz[xvii] revealed:
“Dor Alon V.P. marketing and sales Uri Shmuel was arrested yesterday on suspicion of selling fuel originally meant for the Palestinian Authority […]The Haifa Customs and VAT investigations department has been conducting a covert investigation for months, suspecting that fuels meant for use in the PA have not been reaching their destination, but are being sold within Israel off-record.”
At the mercy of their Israeli occupiers, Gazans have no alternative but to depend upon Israeli corporations such as Dor Energy for fuel.
Mr. Leviev, ranked the 210th wealthiest businessman in the world by Forbes Magazine, profits from the denial of Palestinians’ right to develop their natural resources, and, is a principal actor in the worsening humanitarian conditions in
Yet Mr. Leviev’s human rights abuses do not end nor begin in
More recently, in September 2007 The Sunday Times of London stated that one of its investigative reporters was offered a Burmese ruby for sale at Leviev’s
Adalah-NY launched a boycott campaign against Mr. Leviev this past November to expose his exploitation of marginalized people in
"…the diamond companies are happily publicizing their good deeds in terms of social responsibility […] But the locals cannot see such deeds. This prompts the question: Is the manipulation of social responsibility providing a license to kill and abuse people’s rights?"
Noting the declaration in your mission statement "We influence powerful people",[xxvi] as well as your longstanding work towards economic and social justice for marginalized communities globally, we call upon Oxfam, which has been cited as a recipient of Mr. Leviev’s ill-gotten money, to hold Leviev accountable for his record of abuse; to publicly refrain from accepting any contributions from Mr. Leviev that will only be used to conceal his abuses and impoverish communities from Palestine to Angola; and to raise your prominent voice in bringing to light Leviev’s unlawful and unethical activities.
We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the
(www.mideastjustice.org; email: [email protected])
Cc: Oxfam International (
[i]Various sources, including most recently the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS which is headed by Leviev, have reported Leviev’s philanthropic activities in support of Oxfam
[ii] Pg. 35, http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/policy/conflict_disasters/downloads/bp28_forgotten.pdf
[iii] http://www.mideastjustice.org/images/file/Letter_to_Sarandon_from_Israel_Coalition_Women_Peace.pdf, http://www.ww3report.com/105/palestine/jayyous, http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=8350, http://www.mideastjustice.org/images/file/leviev-registrar.pdf
[iv]http://www.mideastjustice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=99999999&limit=1&limitstart=8
[v]http://www.mideastjustice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=99999999&limit=1&limitstart=9
[vi]http://www.mideastjustice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=99999999&limit=1&limitstart=7
[vii] http://www.catdestroyshomes.org/article.php?id=528
[viii] http://imeu.net/news/article007429.shtml
[ix] http://stopthewall.org/analysisandfeatures/1584.shtml
[x] http://www.mideastjustice.org/images/file/Letter_to_Sarandon_from_Israel_Coalition_Women_Peace.pdf
[xi] http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/publish/article_928.shtml
[xii] http://www.peacenow.org/hot.asp?cid=247
[xiii] http://www.oxfam.org/en/news/2007/pr071121_gaza_public_health
[xiv] http://www.africa-israel.com/pdf/2_2_report_corp_eng.pdf
[xv] http://www.africa-israel.com/eng/inner.asp?id=9500&pid=8100
[xvi] http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/930339.html
[xvii] https://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/920710.html
[xviii] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/11/07/do0705.xml
[xix] http://www.reports-and-materials.org/Marques-lecture-Rinsing-Blood-from-Angola-Diamonds-26-Jan-2007.doc
[xx] http://www.oxfam.org/en/news/2007/pr070221_harassment_of_activists
[xxi] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2558552.ece
[xxii] http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/126712.html
[xxiii]http://www.mideastjustice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=99999999&limit=1&limitstart=10
[xxv] http://www.nationaljewelernetwork.com/njn/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003676589
[xxvi] http://www.oxfam.org/en/about/
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