Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East
Adalah-NY Contact: info@adalahny.org

For Immediate Release

On Fourth Anniversary of International Court Ruling, Protesters Call for Settlement-builder Lev Leviev to be Brought to Justice

New York, NY – Thirty human rights advocates held a spirited protest in the rain outside the Leviev jewelry store on Madison Avenue today, demanding that Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev be brought to justice for his companies' construction of Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land. Many protesters held signs featuring a large cartoon mug shot of Leviev emblazoned with the words, “Wanted, Lev Leviev, For Violating International Law.”

The protest was held on the fourth anniversary of the ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Hague, the world's highest legal body, that both Israeli settlements and the Wall Israel is building inside the West Bank to facilitate settlement expansion, violate international law. From Wednesday through Friday, similar demonstrations are being held in Palestinian towns like Jayyous and Bil’in that are directly affected by Leviev's illegal settlement construction.

Daniel Lang/Levitsky from Jews Against the Occupation, a member group in the Adalah-NY coalition, explained, “Our protest today is part of a growing worldwide movement to boycott and hold accountable Israeli businesses like those of Lev Leviev and his sometime partner Shaya Boymelgreen for abuses of Palestinian rights like settlement construction. We are also actively supporting people in Angola, Namibia and in New York City who are struggling against human rights abuses committed by Leviev’s companies.”