DURBAN III: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing!

     This September will mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. It was 10 years ago when planes flew into the World Trade Center and changed both the New York architecture and the civilized world’s psyche forever. It is undoubtedly going to be a difficult 10 year commemoration of the greatest terrorist attack on American soil. Yet, there is another event that will take place in New York City within days of the 9/11 ceremonies, and that is Durban III: World Conference Against Racism.


     At first glance, one should applause any attempt at people to organize against racism. I would wholeheartedly join such a movement, organization or event, provided it was an honest gathering resolved on fighting worldwide racism which includes antisemitism, islamophobia and other ethnic phobias.


     The problem is that Durban I and II made claims that they didn’t deliver and everything so far about Durban III leads us to believe that the September event will be more of the same. Both Durban I in Durban, South Africa in 2001 and Durban II in Geneva, Switzerland in 2009 falsely appealed to the masses under the guise of fighting racism, but it quickly became apparent that their agenda was solely to demonize and delegitimize Israel and the Jewish people. It equated Zionism with Racism.


     Anne Bayefsky, Senior Editor of Eye on the UN, writes of the first Durban Conference of 2001:

 “The Durban Conference provided rampant antisemitism with a global platform under UN auspices, in a conference allegedly against racism and xenophobia. It also revealed the malevolent antisemitism underlying the campaign to delegitimize the state of Israel.”


     Later, of the Durban II Conference of 2009, she writes:
“Durban II, known officially as the Durban Review Conference, was held in Geneva in April 2009. It was headlined by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who saw the occasion as ideal for issuing another denial of the Holocaust and an endorsement of genocide against the Jewish state.”


     Finally, regarding the upcoming Durban III , she adds:
“By virtue of a 2010 General Assembly resolution, the purpose of Durban III is to celebrate a world conference that reveled in anti-Semitism and to adopt a final declaration that reaffirms the original Durban Declaration (and Programme of Action). That’s the Declaration supposedly to combat racism, xenophobia and related intolerance but that somehow manages to charge just one of the 192 UN members with racism, namely, Israel.” (full article here)


     Durban III will be nothing more than an insult in the face of the world community. It will be a slap in the face of the Jewish community and one more platform from which the dispensers of antisemitic vitriol such as Ahmadinejad and the likes will hold hands and continue to paint Israel as the New Nazis of the Middle East.
     Where are the civilized and educated citizens of the world? Why is such a conference still taking place? Is political correctness more important than the truth?


     I am encouraged by countries like the Czech Republic, Italy and Israel who will boycott Durban III. It appears that the USA also will boycott the Conference in New York in September but they will still attend a 10 year anniversary conference in Geneva (what’s the point?).


     So, what can WE do? Well, there is going to be a gathering of people in New York at the time of the conference and I strongly recommend that those who can attend, become part of this protest.
     The following is a short video explaining the Durban Conference and it contains the invitation at the end.