For months now there has been a great deal of conversation about
conflict diamonds from Africa, but nobody is talking about conflict
diamonds from Israel. Yes, Israel the Jewish state that does not give
the Palastinians the rights that any civilized government should give
its people. You mig ht say that Israel is a Jewish homeland, that
Palastinians have no busine ss being there. However, the Palastiniams
are there and have been for tho usands of years. The Jews seem to find
it convenient to use Palastinian a s second class laborers to do the
dirty workas long as they are kept out of Jewish neighborhoods. When
one group of people dominates another as in Israel there is bound to
be trouble. We have seen that this system does not work in the United
States and have worked hard for over 100 years to put an end to
slavery and racism. It did not work in South Africa a where the blacks
finally have the rights to participate as full citizens. This system
in Israel where the Jewish government oppress the Palastinians mu st
end . It is abhorent that the United States continues to prop up such
an oppressive regime. I believe one day people will ask; Do these
diamonds come from Israel? Ar e these diamonds Israeli conflict
diamonds? We will see a much bigger imp act on our industry than the
few diamonds that now come from Sierra Leon. I understand this is a
dangerous subject to bring up. Many will condem m e for it. But I
could no longer sit back and watch soldiers shooting chil dren. Young
Palestiniams fighting with sticks and stones for the right to have
running water, to go to school and to have adequate medical care. T o
them it is worth giving up their lives to fight for the human needs
tha t being unjustly kept from them. Thoughtfully,
Etienne Perret -