More on Durban II

It's looking to be more anti-semitic than the first...

A “non-paper” distributed to participants of next year’s Durban II conference contains worrying indications that the anti-racism gathering will cast Israel as a racist oppressor of Palestinians and will challenge freedom of the press, warns Anne Bayefsky, a law professor who monitors UN activities.

Bayefsky, who operates the Eye On The UN website, said the non-paper “is a laundry list of all the things governments intend to discuss” at Durban II, the followup to the notorious Durban I, the United Nations World Conference Against Racism. Critics say the 2001 gathering in South Africa was marked by anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. “Egypt and Iran intend to discuss Israeli ‘racism’ against Palestinian victims [at Durban II],” the non-paper said.

Not given a formal UN symbol or number, the non-paper was discussed at the first substantive session of the Durban II preparatory committee, which met in April during the Passover holiday. “We can expect the African regional group, driven by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, will put this subject matter on the agenda. There’s no sign the European Union is going to be able to prevent this discussion,” Bayefsky said.

In addition, the document suggests implementing “a code of conduct on journalists, limiting freedom of expression. That should ring alarm bells for all democratic societies.”

Bayefsky noted that in 1991 the United Nations rescinded its 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism, but since then Israel’s opponents have been attempting to portray the conflict as one of an Israeli apartheid regime targeting Palestinians.

“It’s really Zionism as racism by any other name. Since it’s passé and not in favour, it’s taken on new words. Some people will invoke the language of apartheid regarding Israel.”

With the Durban II planning committee headed by Libya and Iran and with other foes of Israel participating, the trend toward vilification of the Jewish state is becoming clear, Bayefsky said.

“There’s no sign the EU is going to be able to prevent this discussion,” she continued. They were unable to stand up to African and Islamic groups during discussions in the preparatory committee, including Islamic countries’ efforts to disqualify the Canadian Council of Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA)’s request for accreditation. (CIJA eventually withdrew it’s application.)

“On one item after another, they [the EU] roll over and play dead,” she said.