Queen Elizabeth II. Photo: wiki commons.

The 35.60 karat diamond placed in the Tower of London to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne, is now the subject of anti-Israel activists who want the Queen to decline the gift because of the diamond’s affiliation with the Steinmetz family, which helps support Israeli soldiers.

“We are shocked and disappointed by the decision of De Beers to present the Queen of England with a diamond manufactured by the Steinmetz Diamond company,” said Helmi Sammoni of Gaza. “We the Sammoni family call on the Queen of England and the British people to decline this gift.”

The activists are calling the stone  – dubbed the “Steinmetz Forevermark Jubilee Diamond” –  a blood diamond, despite the stone having no link to the globally accepted definition of the term.  Blood diamonds are stones which help African rebels finance their movements, which often involve child soldiers, torture, and rape.

The pink diamond is owned by DeBeers and was manufactured by the Steinmetz Diamond Company.  As the Algemeiner reported yesterday, Benny Steinmetz, who inherited the diamond company from his father, is considering a move to Europe following a dispute with the Israel Tax Authority.