Mia Khalifa: Don't buy Israeli 'blood diamonds'

Mia Khalifa has urged fans and followers this week to avoid purchasing diamonds linked to Israel, citing concerns over conflict 'blood diamonds' and human rights abuses amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Mia Khalifa is a Lebanese-American former adult film actress turned activist and social media influencer.

"Israel owns the most diamond mines in the world. How many mines are in Israel? ZERO. It’s just another example of genocidal colonialism exploiting resources and dehumanizing the population of an occupied land. ALWAYS ASK TO SEE PAPERWORK WHEN BUYING DIAMONDS. AVOID PURCHASING FROM CONFLICT ZONES AND ALWAYS AVOID PURCHASING ISRAELI CUT STONES," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Her comments were made in response to a tweet highlighting the Biden Administration's reported decision to allow US-sanctioned Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler to sell his mining interests in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of a deal to help provide cobalt supplies to the US.

Human rights activists have long accused Gertler of exploiting child labour and contributing to numerous deaths through his illegal mining operations in the DRC.

Israeli blood diamonds?

Israel is one of the diamond world’s leading centres for both the trade and manufacture of polished diamonds. Cut diamonds constituted 23.2% of Israel's total exports. Diamonds come to Israel, which has has no natural sources of diamond, from various sources, including African countries such as South Africa, Liberia, Congo and Ivory Coast, as well as Russia and Canada.

According to Israeli media, Israel's diamond industry has a bloody history.

Meanwhile, according to the BDS campaign, "the Israeli diamond industry contributes about $1 billion annually to the Israeli military and security industries… every time somebody buys a diamond that was exported from Israel some of that money ends up in the Israeli military.”

Khalifa, who garners millions of followers on her social media platforms, has gained attention in recent years after she waded into politics and social issues. 

She has also been expressing strong views in support of the Palestinian people during Israel's war on Gaza, earning her the ire of supporters of the Jewish state and its genocidal actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In October, US adult entertainment enterprise Playboy announced it had cut ties with Mia Khalifa for statements she made after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.