South African organisations call for Israel to be excluded from diamond processing

Human rights groups, trade unions and several other major civil society organisations have called for the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme to exclude Israel. The international diamond regulatory body is meeting in South Africa and is chaired currently by Pretoria's former ambassador to Washington, Mr Welile Nhlapo.

Organisations including South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM); the country's largest trade union federation, COSATU; the SACP; YCL; South African Students Congress (SASCO); Congress of South African Students (COSAS), the Coalition for a Free Palestine and BDS South Africa are behind the call.

A statement issued at a press conference held at COSATU's Head Office in Johannesburg pointed out that the KPCS presents an opportunity for South African officials to show "moral vision and political leadership" by excluding Israel. "The billions of dollars' worth of diamonds exported via Israel are," said the coalition, "a major source of revenue for the Israeli military, which stands accused of war crimes." Such a move would have local benefits too, it added, by "bringing home" many lucrative diamond processing jobs to South Africa. Income from diamond processing carried out in Israel also, alleges the coalition, helps to develop military hardware such as pilotless drones. more

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