Adalah-NY has learned that the jewelry of Israeli billionaire and settlement-builder Lev Leviev will be on sale at this week's gala opening of the luxury hotel Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai.
A group of A-list celebrities who appear in a new photography book wearing shimmering jewels (and not much more) have become caught in a tussle between an Israeli diamond mogul, an international poverty relief organization and a couple of highly irritated public relations firms.
The international poverty relief organization Oxfam has denounced a diamond mogul who was involved in the creation of a photo book featuring celebrities, which was designed to raise money for the charity.
Charities and celebs seek distance from controversial Israeli settlement-builder See Oxfam Statement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York, NY, October 27, 2008 – The October 28 release of the celebrity portrait book Hollywood Pinups by photographer Timothy White is being marred by controversy, as a charity and stars distance themselves from Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev who provided the jewelry worn by stars in the book. Oxfam America is named in the book as recipient of White’s book sales proceeds, and on the page immediately before, Leviev is thanked for his “support and contribution” to the book. In response, Oxfam America, which had renounced Leviev in January, has again decried Leviev’s settlement construction and diamond mining practices, and announced that it will be informing others of “the deliberate strategy of Leviev Diamonds to connect itself with unwitting charities and celebrities.” In June, UNICEF renounced all connections with Leviev.
Eighteen of twenty-three celebrity women in the book wore Leviev’s diamonds. The New York rights coalition Adalah-NY has contacted many - Susan Sarandon, Tea Leoni, Felicity Huffman, Vanessa Williams, Kate Hudson, Kate Walsh, Molly Sims, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Gina Gershon - and asked them to renounce all connections with Leviev. Adalah-NY also notes that a photo of Oxfam “Ambassador” Kristin Davis wearing Leviev’s jewelry has been removed from Leviev’s website. Susan Sarandon, who was previously embroiled in controversy after attending the opening of Leviev's New York jewelry store despite a protest, wrote the book’s foreward, but did not wear Leviev’s diamonds in her photo in Hollywood Pinups.
New York, NY, October 24, 2008 – In a stunning reversal, Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev will not be sponsoring the Children’s Diabetes Foundation’s (CDF) 2008 Carousel of Hope Ball in Beverly Hills this Saturday evening. Leviev sponsored the 2006 Ball and was announced in media reports as a sponsor for the 2008 Ball. Following letters by Adalah-NY and other groups to the Denver-based CDF, Leviev was removed from the list of sponsors for the 2008 Ball. CDF’s lawyer Mark Cohen told Adalah-NY in an October 1 letter that, while Leviev will not sponsor the event, this did not represent a judgement on the merits of Adalah-NY’s claims about Leviev. The October 25 fundraiser for CDF will feature stars including Denzel Washington, Sidney Poitier, Josh Groban, Quincy Jones and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds.
The rights coalition Adalah-NY has called for a boycott of Leviev’s businesses due to their human rights abuses and unethical practices in Palestine, Angola, Namibia and New York. In January, 2008, Oxfam denied claims by Leviev that he supported Oxfam and denounced him. UNICEF renounced Leviev’s support in June. This week, Oxfam America renounced Leviev yet again, after learning that he contributed diamonds worn by stars in Timothy White’s photo book Hollywood Pinups, scheduled for release on October 28th, with White’s sales proceeds to benefit Oxfam America.
Oxfam welcomes the opportunity to explain the mention of Oxfam America in the book Hollywood Pin Ups. Two years ago, Oxfam America was approached to be the beneficiary of a future donation from celebrity photographer Timothy White (an individual) who was creating a book to mark the anniversary of famous images from the past (Esquire's "Vargas Girls"). At some point in the process, Leviev Diamonds offered to provide diamonds for some of the photo shoots, but Oxfam was not aware of this.
Just a few weeks ago, Adalah-NY tipped us off to the fact that Leviev Diamonds were promoting their inclusion in the book and using this to claim to be Oxfam supporters. When we received a copy of the book we were able to confirm that both Oxfam and Leviev are mentioned in the book: Timothy chose to mention his support of Oxfam in the forward and he decided to describe our mission on a page at the end. On a different page, Leviev is thanked by Timothy for loaning diamonds to the photo shoots.
Given this information, Oxfam immediately acted to reiterate our position to Mr. Leviev and his representatives that he is not an Oxfam supporter or partner and may not claim to be one (which has been our position since January). We also corrected the record in this matter on the internet.
Although it's true that Oxfam and Leviev are both mentioned in this book, Oxfam reiterates our policy that we are not and never will be partners or beneficiaries of Leviev because of both his mining practices and his support of Israeli settlements on Occupied Palestinian Lands which is in contravention of International Law and a major obstacle in the road to peace. We will continue to take steps to educate all the parties involved about the reasons behind our policy and to clarify the issue for the public to the best of our ability. Oxfam is disturbed to find ourselves used in this way and we intend to be proactive in informing those in our community about the deliberate strategy of Leviev Diamonds to connect itself with unwitting charities and celebrities.
New York, NY – Manhattan’s elite were aghast to be greeted this evening by 25 chanting protesters when they exited their SUVs and limos to attend a glitzy fundraiser sponsored by Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev for the Museum of the City of New York. Leviev has been criticized for his businesses’ human rights violations and unethical practices in Palestine, Angola, Namibia and New York City.
The Director of the Museum of the City of New York had failed to respond to phone calls and a September 16th letter from the New York rights coalition Adalah-NY, that is promoting a boycott of Leviev’s businesses. Adalah-NY’s letter informed the museum of the inconsistency of Leviev’s business practices with the museum’s mission, and with non-profit ethical standards. Alex Stern of Adalah-NY explained, “I’ve been going to the Museum of the City of New York all my life to see exhibits about New York’s diversity and about local communities battling against poverty. So it’s upsetting to me that the museum welcomed a sponsor who is impoverishing and destroying communities around the world.”
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