Bayefsky: Obama Should Denounce Durban II

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The United Nations has released a new draft declaration for the Durban II “anti-racism” conference, removing some of its anti-Israel language, but Anne Bayefsky says it’s a sham.

Durban II represents a global showdown on the ideological battlefield between Democrats and anti-Democrats, between tolerance and intolerance. For years, the worst abusers of human rights have commandeered U.N. vehicles to trample rights and freedoms. Given the close relationship between spewing hatred and reaping violence—which the first Durban Declaration adopted on Sept. 8, 2001, made abundantly clear—the stakes are high.

Two weeks ago, the Obama administration set out four conditions for U.S. participation in Durban II. The new version of the Durban II declaration must be: “shorter,” “not reaffirm in toto the flawed 2001 Durban Declaration,” “not single out any one country or conflict” and “not embrace the troubling concept of ”defamation of religion.“ On some of these counts, the document makes substantial changes. It is somewhat shorter, removes grotesque allegations like calling Israel an apartheid state and deletes the words ”defamation of religions.“

But most important, it refuses to disavow the 2001 Declaration. On the contrary, it ”Reaffirms the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) as it was adopted at the World Conference against Racism … in 2001.“ That declaration says Palestinians are victims of Israeli racism—with Israel the only U.N. state found guilty of racism. And though today’s draft divides provisions into the negotiable and non-negotiable, it announces that reaffirming Durban I is text which does not ”remain to be negotiated.“

This ”new and improved” document, therefore, breaches President Obama’s key conditions.

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Last updated: 2023-04-04 11:11 am PDT
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