By Indymedia UK – 18 Sept 2009
www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/09/438163.html
Stolen Beauty from Stolen Land
At 11am today two people entered the Ahava store in Monmoth Street, Covent Garden and closed the shop by locking themselves inside. Under the banner of ‘Stolen Beauty from Stolen Land’, they set out to highlight the sale of beauty products manufactured on illegal Israeli Settlements on Occupied Palestinian land.
In line with tomorrow’s International Day of Action Against Ahava, supported by the International Solidarity Movement, Code Pink, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign, the actions support the Palestinian non-violent efforts at resisting the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The sale of settlement produce acts to finance and support war crimes by the Israeli state.
The expansion of settlements, militarisation of the West Bank, siege upon Gaza and prevention of movement and trade by Palestinians have all contributed to the creation of an Apartheid state within which Palestinians are forced to live in Bantustans. Settlements have drawn international condemnation and, according to the International Criminal Court Act 2001, are in contravention of international law the Fourth Geneva conventions
The international community has a role to play in preventing war crimes from taking place. We ended Apartheid in South Africa through boycotts, divestments and sanctions. We can do the same for Palestine.
Ahava products are manufactured on the West Bank Settlement of Mitzpe Shalem, part of the Palestinian territories that have been occupied since the 1967 war.
Three people also locked themselves inside Ahava for 6 hours on the 10th January 2009 during the height of Operation Cast. Since then there has been a series of protests held at the store.
In August 2009 Oxfam suspended Kirsten Davis, previously the face of Ahava, from being a goodwill ambassador.
In March 2009, the British government withdraw at the 11th hour from renting office space from the Diamond mogul Lev Leviev, whose company Africa Israel and sister company Danya Cebus finance Settlement construction in Maale Adumim, Har Homa and Matityahu East.
