Expert Sources 

On April 20, thousands of delegates from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are expected to gather in Geneva for the United Nation’s Durban Review Conference, a five-day follow-up to the 2001 World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in the developing world held in Durban, South Africa.[1]

Driven primarily by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in close cooperation with Iran and other Muslim regimes, the 2001 conference devolved into a platform for attacks against Israel and failed to address serious issues of intolerance in many parts of the developing world.[2] Now, with preparatory committee meetings for the conference underway,  many experts already are predicting that the upcoming event – better known as Durban II – will be nothing more than a new opportunity to demonize Israel while ignoring racist and discriminatory acts by UN members such as Sudan, Iran and China.[3]

Durban I: The UN’s largest anti-Semitic and anti-Israel meeting of the 21^st century

 During the first Durban conference, held in three parallel gatherings -- an official diplomatic forum, a youth summit and an NGO Forum --Israel was singled out and internationally isolated by participants who defined Zionism as racism and denounced Israeli counterterrorism measures as war crimes.[4] About 7,000 delegates from 1,500 NGOs participated in Durban, [5] where anti-Semitic cartoons and books like the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" and Hitler's "Mein Kampf" were circulated. Protestors shouted "Death to the Jews" and accused Israel of committing holocausts.[6]

The NGO final declaration accused Israel of apartheid and ethnic cleansings (article 164), called for the total isolation of Israel by comprehensive sanctions (art. 425) and threatened those countries who are supporting Israel’s "acts of genocide" (art. 426).[7] The UN draft resolution filed by the Arab states equated Zionism with racism. Both the United States and Israel withdrew their delegations from the conference.[8]

Durban II Strategy: NGOs already lobbying UN Forums to demonize Israel

 As mandated by the General Assembly, the conference in Geneva is being held to facilitate the implementation of the first conference and enhance the “global drive for the total elimination of racism.”[9] Against this backdrop, the conference aims to focus on worldwide, endemic "Islamophobia ... and the worsening of the situation of Muslim minorities around the world" since 2001.

It also defines "counterterrorism or national security" and "freedom of expression" in Western countries as "obstacles in hampering progress in the collective struggle against racism."[10] The regional conferences and Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meetings – led by Libya and other countries such as Iran, Egypt, Pakistan and Cuba [11] – also have adopted an anti-Western slant/anti-Israel. For example:

• At the Latin American regional session held in Brasilia, Brazil June 17-19, a coalition of Palestinian NGOs sent an “open letter” to the governments of Latin America proclaiming the Palestinian people as the “victims of the world’s late state-sponsored colonial apartheid regime” suggesting that Israel should play a central role in Geneva. [12]

• In August, the African Regional Conference issued a declaration mentioning the “plight of the Palestinian people” while failing to mention the genocide in Sudan. [13]

• At a meeting of the Preparatory Committee in May 2008, a UN working group released a document which “expresses concern about the plight of the Palestinian people under foreign occupation,” as “particular vulnerability of this group is dramatically enhanced if it is connected to racial or ethnic distinction from the occupying power” [14] At the same meeting, the PrepCom accredited the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign for the NGO forum accompanying the conference, while the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy was rejected. [15]

• On Oct. 8, the Asian regional group submitted a draft document accusing Israel of “racial practices” against Palestinians, “a new kind of apartheid, a crime against humanity, a form of genocide,” as well as “aggression, acts of racism, and intimidation.” The document repeats the inciting language from the Tehran planning conference in April 2001. [16]

• At the end of October, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which facilitates the PrepCom and is hosting Durban II, released a first Draft Outcome Document. It contains nine paragraphs condemning Israel as guilty of apartheid, including crimes against humanity and genocide, allegations that Palestinians are victims of Israeli racism and the accusation that Zionism is racism by referring to a “racially based law of return.” There are no draft paragraphs condemning any other UN member state. The representatives of various Arab and Muslim states backed these paragraphs and proposed additional ones. [17]

Western governments cautiously stake out role

 In contrast to 2001, Western governments and international organizations seem to foresee the dangers posed by Durban II and the crucial role of the NGOs. Canada[18] and Israel[19] already have declared their intention to stay away from the conference in Geneva. U.S. officials have said they won’t participate unless it is proven that the conference will not be used as a platform for anti-Semitic behavior.[20]

Most European governments have yet to announce their plans for participation in the upcoming conference in Geneva. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in February 2008 that his country would withdraw from the conference if its demands are “not taken into account.” Said Sarkozy, “France will not accept a repeat of the digressions and extremes of 2001. Our European partners share France’s concerns.” [21]

During a round trip to the Middle East in October, Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller of Denmark called on his Arab partners to withdraw their proposal to make criticism of religion equivalent to racism.[22]

Expert Sources

Prof. Gerald M. Steinberg
NGO Monitor
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel: +972 2 5661020
Cell: +972 54-489-0445
E-mail: Steinberg@ngo-monitor.org
Web: www.ngo-monitor.org

Hillel Neuer
UN Watch Geneva
Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41-22-734-1472
E-mail: hcneuer@unwatch.org
Web: www.unwatch.org

Eitan Levon
International Organizations Division
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel: +972-2-5303900
Cell: +972-52-4495599
E-mail: eitan.levon@mfa.gov.il
Web: http://www.mfa.gov.il

Karen Smadja
Information and Press Officer
Permanent Mission of Israel
Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 716 05 24
Cell: +41 78 790 61 61
E-mail: information@geneva.mfa.gov.il
Web: http://geneva.mfa.gov.il

Anne Bayefsky
Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute
New York, N.Y., U.S.A.
Tel: +1-212-232-8720
Cell: +1-917-488-1558
E-mail: anne@hudsonny.org
Web: www.EYEontheUN.org

Irwin Cotler
Canadian Member of Parliament, former Minister of Justice
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
Office: (613) 995-0121
E-mail: cotlei@parl.gc.ca

Constituency Office
Montreal QC
Office: (514) 283-0171
E-mail: cotlei1@parl.gc.ca

Footnotes:

[1] Durban Review Conference 2009, Web site of the Office of the Untied Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, accessed on Nov. 10, 2008, http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/racism/DurbanReview/;
World Conference Against Racism Web site, accessed Nov. 10, 2008, http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/02-documents-cnt.html