America will never impose economic sanctions on Israel, but Americans can. No blood diamonds.
A massive amount of industrial and agricultural exports by Israel go to America, a massive boycott of these products would have both economic and messaging value.
Diamonds are the leading export. Yes, diamonds.
But food is the number one most important product in the world, next to water. Not buying another nations food has impact, economic and political.
Look at the label at your friendly neighbourhood grocery store, if one vote at a polling booth matters, then one individual vote at the grocery store matters just as much.
You may not be in the market for a diamond much but you are at the market often for food.
Show your disgust at the glaring international war crimes of the IDF, one fruit and flower and vegetable and blood diamond at a time.
And not buy IDF blood diamonds, by far their leading export.
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U.S. goods imports from Israel totaled $22.7 billion in 2013, a 2.5% increase ($546 million) from 2012, and up 78% from 2003. U.S. imports from Israel are up 1,195% from 1984 (Pre-FTA). U.S. imports from Israel accounted for 1.0% of overall U.S. imports in 2013.
The five largest import categories in 2013 were: Precious Stones (diamonds) ($9.0 billion), Pharmaceutical Products ($5.4 billion), Electrical Machinery ($1.4 billion), Machinery ($1.4 billion), and Optic and Medical Instruments ($1.3 billion).
U.S. imports of agricultural products from Israel totaled $327 million in 2013. Leading categories include: snack foods (including chocolate) ($54 million), and planting seeds ($35 million).
U.S. imports of private commercial services* (i.e., excluding military and government) were $5.2 billion in 2012 (latest data available), up 3.5% ($178 million) from 2011. Other private services (business, professional, and technical services), and travel categories led U.S. services imports from Israel.
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Israel’s blood diamonds
Seán Clinton The Electronic Intifada 29 March 2010
Every year, consumers the world over unwittingly spend billions of dollars on diamonds crafted in Israel, thereby helping to fund one of the world’s most protracted and contentious conflicts. Most people are unaware that Israel is one of the world’s leading producers of cut and polished diamonds. As diamonds are normally not hallmarked, consumers cannot distinguish an Israeli diamond from one crafted in India, Belgium, South Africa or elsewhere. The global diamond industry and aligned governments, including the EU, have hoodwinked consumers into believing the diamond trade has been cleansed of diamonds that fund human rights abuses, but the facts are startlingly different.
Israel — which stands accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, genocide, the crime of apartheid, extrajudicial executions within and outside the territory it controls and persistent serious breaches of the Geneva Conventions — is the world’s leading exporter of diamonds (see Figure 1 below). Israeli companies import rough diamonds for cutting and polishing, adding significantly to their value, and export them globally via distribution hubs in Antwerp, London, Hong Kong, New York and Mumbai.
