The British embassy in Israel has abandoned plans to move into a building owned by the Soviet-born Israeli businessman Lev Leviev because of his support for settlements in the West Bank, media reported on Wednesday. The embassy had planned to lease a floor in a high-rise office tower owned by Africa-Israel, a company belonging to Leviev. However, the plans reportedly sparked controversy because Leviev's company is engaged in construction in several settlements in the West Bank.
"Ambassador Tom Phillips requested details from Africa-Israel about the nature of its activities in the settlements, and a week ago, the British embassy in Tel Aviv received the information. As a result, plans to move into the tower were frozen," the newspaper 'Ha'aretz' reports. The 52-year-old Leviev has been called by Forbes magazine "the largest cutter and polisher of diamonds on the planet" and worth an estimated US$ 4.5 billion in 2008.
Born in Uzbekistan, Leviev immigrated to Israel in 1971. The father of nine recently moved with his wife to London's Hampstead neighborhood.