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Israel recalls Swiss envoy over Ahmadinejad presence at summit
Tags: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 

Click here for more about the Durban II conference

Israel said it was recalling its ambassador to Switzerland on Monday in protest at a United Nations conference on racism in Geneva attended by Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Israeli officials have also voiced anger at a meeting that Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz held on Sunday with Ahmadinejad, who has questioned whether the Nazi Holocaust happened and called for Israel to be "wiped off the map".
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday thanked the Western countries intending to boycott the summit, known as Durban II. Israel had said from the outset that it would boycott the conference and the U.S., Canada, Italy, Holland, Germany, Australia and New Zealand have followed suit.

France said Monday that its ambassador to Geneva would attend, but would walk out immediately if the conference turned into a platform for racist comments against Israel. Britain and the Czech Republic had earlier said they would take part in the conference, but without a high-level official.

The opening day of the conference happens to coincide with Holocaust remembrance day in Israel.

"Six million of our people were slaughtered in the Holocaust. Not everyone has learned the lesson, unfortunately," Netanyahu told his cabinet in broadcast remarks.

"While we commemorate them, a conference purporting to be against racism will convene in Switzerland. The guest of honor is a racist, a Holocaust-denier who makes no secret of his intention of wiping Israel off the face of the earth."

Netanyahu's office later said that he and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman decided to recall Ambassador Ilan Elgar from Berne "for consultations and in protest at the conference in Geneva."

Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel and denied the Holocaust, was the only head of state to accept the United Nations invitation to speak at at the April 20-25 event.

President Shimon Peres said in a statement he was "deeply hurt and ashamed" that Ahmadinejad was invited to speak precisely on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

"There must be a limit, even to the neutrality of Switzerland. Today is the day? This is the man to speak? This is the outlook for the future?" said Peres. "I don't want to speak too much about Iran. But in Iran, people are hanged because they are suspected of God knows what - nothing. There is a center of hate, of blood, of terror."

Hamas: Boycotting Durban is result of Israeli, U.S. 'extortion'

Hamas charged Monday that countries' boycotting the conference were caving in to U.S. and Israeli pressure.

"Those countries were quick to respond to the Zionist [reference to Israel] and American pressure and extortion against their
leaders," Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas' spokesman, told reporters in Gaza
City.

"They shun the conference because it will expose the use by the U.S.-backed Zionist entity of all means of killings and destruction against the Palestinian people," Barhoum added.

The withdrawal of the United States in particular "conflicts with President Obama's calls for peace, security and the respect of human rights" in the Middle East, he charged.

Ahmadinejad met upon landing in Geneva on Sunday with Swiss President Merz, despite vocal Israeli opposition. Ahmadinejad was also due to meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, officials of various international organizations in Geneva, and Swiss officials and business executives.

In a radio interview Monday, the Swiss president defended the meeting and said criticism was unjustified.

"Switzerland is neutral and not part of any alliance," Merz said, adding that it is part of the country's national tradition to offer its mediation services.

Israel sends delegates to Geneva to protest Durban II

As part of its publicity campaign, the Israelis will organize demonstrations during the speech, and will distribute materials on human rights violations in Iran - with particular emphasis on public executions and violence against women.

The campaign will be overseen by Israel Ambassador to Geneva Ronnie Lashno-Yaar. He will be assisted by Nobel Prize laureate Elie Weisel, U.S. law Prof. Alan Dershowitz and film actor Jon Voight. A special media room will also be set up in Geneva, to provide immediate responses to anti-Israeli statements.

A special delegation of 14 Israeli students will also be taking part. All the students speak foreign languages and have undergone extensive training by the Foreign Ministry and the World Jewish Congress.

Foreign Minister Lieberman issued a statement on Sunday saying "an international conference in which a racist like Ahmadinejad, who preaches daily about Israel's destruction, is allowed to speak, says all that needs to be said about its character and purpose."

Lieberman added that Israel could not ignore that a Holocaust-denier has been invited to take part in a convention taking place on the very same day that the Jewish people commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day to remember the six million Jews murdered in Europe by Nazi Germany and its accomplices.

U.S. President Obama on Sunday explained that the United States had decided to boycott a United Nations conference on racism because the draft for the summit risked declaring "hypocritical allegations" against Israel.

"I would love to be involved in a useful conference that addressed continuing issues of racism and discrimination around the globe," Obama said in Trinidad on Sunday after attending the Summit of the Americas.

But he said the language of the UN's draft declaration "raised a whole set of objectionable provisions" and risked a reprise of the 2001 predecessor summit in Durban, "which became a session through which folks expressed antagonism toward Israel in ways that were often times completely hypocritical and counterproductive."

Amnesty International condemns UN racism conference boycott

Amnesty International Monday condemned the decision by leading nations to boycott the Durban Review Conference on racism in Geneva and urged governments not to "politicize" the meeting.

In a public statement on the conference issued in London, Amnesty said it was "dismayed" that Australia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Poland had decided to "disengage from" the conference.

The human rights organization said it also "regrets that Italy and the United States have confirmed their decisions to stay outside the Review Conference."

The withdrawal of Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Poland and the refusal of Italy and the U.S. to join the conference was "very disappointing in light of the long and difficult negotiations" required to reach agreement, said Amnesty.

"True conviction in combating racism requires governments to be there to stand up for what is right and to reject forcefully what is objectionable," said the statement.

Amnesty International urged all governments participating in the Durban Review Conference to remain engaged.

"Governments committed to combating racism and a successful Review Conference must strenuously resist and respond to any renewed efforts to politicize the Conference or to detract from the over-riding objective of addressing all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia or related intolerance in all parts of the world," it said.


Related articles:
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  • Swiss leader, Ahmadinejad meet despite Israeli objection
  • Obama: Durban II risks 'hypocritical' Israel hatred
  • Final Durban II text omits references to Israel and Zionism
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      1.   Confusion 09:32  |  Abed 20/04/09
      2.   Durban Protest 09:40  |  The Teacher/Instruct 20/04/09
      3.   "Many" Western countries....???? 09:46  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/04/09
      4.   Hamas $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 09:51  |  Dr D 20/04/09
      5.   #2, TEACHER/INSTRUCT 10:00  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 20/04/09
      6.   #3, Dino 10:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 20/04/09
      7.   "... who preaches daily about Israel`s destruction"? 10:05  |  un2here 20/04/09
      8.   # 3, SWISS (DINO) 10:13  |  indrajaya 20/04/09
      9.   Jon Voight 10:16  |  Michael 20/04/09
      10.   It`s okay Dino, English is not your first language 10:16  |  Michael 20/04/09
      11.   Swiss (Dino)`s "vibrant democracies"... 10:16  |  Akiva P 20/04/09
      12.   `swiss dino` - are you not embarrased? 10:18  |  tzvi 20/04/09
      13.   SWISS "morals" in neutral,as usual,prevent Ahmadinejad challenge 10:30  |  PETER SM 20/04/09
      14.   Boycott that isn`t 10:34  |  sh 20/04/09
      15.   US ECONOMY IS IN RUIN 10:34  |  indrajaya 20/04/09
      16.   SWISS wait for the final walkout from your cheap money grubbing 10:35  |  PETER SM 20/04/09
      17.   boycott is a boycott, no? Why attend? 10:40  |  SG 20/04/09
      18.   # 3, SWISS (DINO) 10:41  |  indrajaya 20/04/09
      19.   Swiss#-3-Many Western countries 10:45  |  Daniel Leopold 20/04/09
      20.   #3 Dino is silly 10:45  |  Baruch Gold 20/04/09
      21.   Is critisim of Isreal on racism really that absurd 10:55  |  GaileeHero 20/04/09
      22.   Swiss (Dino) 7 out of 30 is close to 25% 11:04  |  Gil 20/04/09
      23.   The boycott is ludicrous. 11:13  |  Michael 20/04/09
      24.   Yes, I agree with Indrayaja: take care of your Ahmadinedjead 11:13  |  Israeli citizen 20/04/09
      25.   The Durban II in Geneve is nothing but a celebration of that... 11:21  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 20/04/09
      26.   Placards galore,"Zionism=Rascism." 11:25  |  Stephen. (Geneve) 20/04/09
      27.   Iranians representing also Hamas and Hisballah? 11:33  |  Dr D 20/04/09
      28.   Go and fight your corner! 11:49  |  Michael 20/04/09
      29.   # 16, DR D 11:56  |  indrajaya 20/04/09
      30.   Coincidence 12:00  |  Avraham 20/04/09
      31.   Indrayaja: Ahmadinedjead "honorable guest"? 12:04  |  Israeli citizen 20/04/09
      32.   # 9 Souless Bankers ? Like Madoff ? 12:05  |  Ardi 20/04/09
      33.   @ Dino: Only 3 european countries 12:11  |  Sam 20/04/09
      34.   # 5 Akiva P, no problem at all...... 12:12  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/04/09
      35.   # 6 tzvi, I have 2 "NO" `s for you..... 12:16  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/04/09
      36.   # 7 PETER SM once again doesn`t know what he is talking about.... 12:20  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/04/09
      37.   # 12 indrajaya, don`t worry, we take potential threats.... 12:22  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/04/09
      38.   TO MICHEAL IN CALIFORNIA. 12:25  |  DANNY. 20/04/09
      39.   # 13 Daniel Leupold, no, the only difference between.... 12:27  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/04/09
      40.   I am ashamed for the world 12:31  |  i am so sad 20/04/09
      41.   # 15 Baruch Gold, maybe YOU need a little lesson in geography.... 12:32  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/04/09
      42.   # 17 Gil, don`t worry too much about South-Africa..... 12:36  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/04/09
      43.   what shame 12:37  |  hypocrites and liars 20/04/09
      44.   TO PETER SM. NO 8. 12:40  |  DANNY 20/04/09
      45.   # 28 Sam 12:44  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/04/09
      46.   That`s okay, Israel, I think we can live with that (recall)..... 12:47  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/04/09
      47.   @10, indra 12:53  |  v 20/04/09
      48.   Freedom of speech 12:55  |  Welshman 20/04/09
      49.   @31, dino 13:02  |  vladimir 20/04/09
      50.   Switzerland 13:08  |  Andreas 20/04/09
      51.   Freedom of Speech? 13:10  |  Reza 20/04/09
      52.   Durban II 13:19  |  Marwan 20/04/09
      53.   8-13 countries??? Oh no, say it aint sooo... 13:22  |  Iranian 20/04/09
      54.   Stance of Israel in Durban II (No smoke without fire) 13:37  |  Pluto 20/04/09
      55.   ashamed 13:38  |  D.OLIVER 20/04/09
      56.   Recall of Swiss envoy 13:47  |  Martin 20/04/09
      57.   Ridiculous recall of Israeli embassador to Switzerland 13:48  |  Beat Hermann 20/04/09
      58.   propaganda and facts 13:51  |  Bob 20/04/09
      59.   You See? The Organizers Lied! 13:54  |  Yosemite 20/04/09
      60.   Interesting Things About Switzerland... 13:58  |  Yosemite 20/04/09
      61.   Dino, you will need 2 secretaries, everyone "loves" this "event 14:03  |  Israeli citizen 20/04/09
      62.   #34 To Dino 14:04  |  Guggenbühl 20/04/09
      63.   to No 58...Watching too much spy movies:-)))) 14:07  |  Andreas 20/04/09
      64.   #57 Absolutely right Beat 14:09  |  Ardi 20/04/09
      65.   Which proves there is a huge difference ... 14:10  |  Edith 20/04/09
      66.   # 58 You are living in Hollywood. Thats it ! 14:12  |  Ardi 20/04/09
      67.   "wiped off the map" 14:13  |  Jacob Ahvazi 20/04/09
      68.   #56 14:21  |  mara 20/04/09
      69.   Can you withdraw the Israeli Ambassador 14:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/04/09
      70.   Swiss DIno # 3 - vibrant democracies? 14:28  |  ChanahS 20/04/09
      71.   I would have thought 14:35  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/04/09
      72.   GaileeHero 21 14:37  |  ChanahS 20/04/09
      73.   Ahmadinadjad and Merz 14:38  |  Levzahav 20/04/09
      74.   I Can`t Wait To Hear Ahmadinejad`s Speech 14:41  |  Jeff Northridge 20/04/09
      75.   Yom Ha-Shoah 14:42  |  Jean-Paul Walshaw 20/04/09
      76.   Durban II and Swiss implication 14:44  |  michal 20/04/09
      77.   deep shame 14:53  |  Collette in Switzerl 20/04/09
      78.   # 60 Guggenbühl 14:57  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/04/09
      79.   INDRAJAYA 14:57  |  Daniela 20/04/09
      80.   #25 `Jehuda` ben `Israel` 15:00  |  Edith 20/04/09
      81.   #69 15:03  |  Joshua 20/04/09
      82.   Jacob Ahvazi # 65 I Could Believe You If... 15:12  |  Jeff Northridge 20/04/09
      83.   Dino and his "not so upset non-Jewish" people there 15:17  |  Israeli citizen 20/04/09
      84.   No need, Chris # 68, your country forgot its Churchill 15:19  |  Israeli citizen 20/04/09
      85.   No One Has learned the Lessons of the Holocaust...Israel included 15:25  |  BDF 20/04/09
      86.   Durban II to Nuremberg II - start to compile the list 15:39  |  17 20/04/09
      87.   Question? 15:39  |  Confused 20/04/09
      88.   # 74 Yom Ha-Shoah - respectfully disagree 15:49  |  17 20/04/09
      89.   Israel recalls it`s Swiss envoy. 15:56  |  David Nigel Braham 20/04/09
      90.   To the Swiss this a badge of honor 15:57  |  steve from Raleigh 20/04/09
      91.   I doubt u understand racism, "Galilee Hero" 15:58  |  yonatan 20/04/09
      92.   Jews don`t buy Swiss products, services 16:13  |  Yosi 20/04/09
      93.   Confused # 85 President Ahmadinejad Had Little To Do With It 16:45  |  Jeff Northridge 20/04/09
      94.   Jeff Northridge #81 how come... 16:45  |  ahem 20/04/09
      95.   Swiss was during WWII do neutral that only money got you in! 17:01  |  Tom Lobo Meyer 20/04/09
      96.   # 10 Michael 17:14  |  Scott 20/04/09
      97.   If you support this conference 18:14  |  Lynn 20/04/09
      98.   Jeff Northridge 18:15  |  Persian Kitty 20/04/09
      99.   # 53 Iranian....actually your dear leader is a racist 18:17  |  Lynn 20/04/09
      100.   #58 Bob....he`s a racist and hatemonger 18:20  |  Lynn 20/04/09
      101.   Jeff Northridge #81 how come... 18:24  |  Roo 20/04/09
      102.   Swiss Dino - Yes many countries 18:34  |  *BEN JABO 20/04/09
      103.   #87 David Nigel Braham 18:40  |  *BEN JABO 20/04/09
      104.   #81 Jeff Northridge / "wiped off the map" misquote 18:49  |  Jacob Ahvazi 20/04/09
      105.   Appears Swiss (Dino) has rather lost it 18:50  |  Christopher 20/04/09
      106.   SWITZERLAND IS NEUTRAL 18:52  |  Stephen 20/04/09
      107.   Ahmadinejad`s presence 18:54  |  rm 20/04/09
      108.   #34 Dino & Austria: an interesting history lesson 18:56  |  passerby 20/04/09
      109.   swiss 19:00  |  ehud 20/04/09
      110.   Accountability for the Swiss 19:02  |  Elizabeth 20/04/09
      111.   # 8 19:11  |  oz 20/04/09
      112.   dino always makes a joke of himself 19:33  |  charro 20/04/09
      113.   Infantile 19:41  |  Colin Wright 20/04/09
      114.   To Chris Linthwaite #69 `Can you withdraw the Israeli ambassador 19:44  |  Colin Wright 20/04/09
      115.   The Swiss are always neutral when it comes to evil 19:46  |  Gina 20/04/09
      116.   SWISS"Pro-Tibet protesters arrested after clashes at Chinese emba 19:51  |  PETER SM 20/04/09
      117.   #81 Jeff Northridge / "wiped off the map" 20:06  |  Jacob Ahvazi 20/04/09
      118.   Israel Recalls Ambassador to Switzerland 20:08  |  Michael Levine 20/04/09
      119.   indrajaya ....because of the Muslim world 20:15  |  Maria 20/04/09
      120.   MICHAEL UK It might suit you to use the UN this way 20:52  |  PETER SM 20/04/09
      121.   #3 21:12  |  Edwin 20/04/09
      122.   Gina is right 21:15  |  arik 20/04/09
      123.   Iran Exposed 21:23  |  Giora 20/04/09
      124.   Recalling Swiss Envoy 21:25  |  Stefa Shaler 20/04/09
      125.   Netanyahu cant use the Holocaust to justify Israel`s wrong doings 21:33  |  Dutch 20/04/09
      126.   Switzerland bashing 21:34  |  Beat Hermann 20/04/09
      127.   What a farce the racist of the racist is protesting racism... 21:36  |  Dutch 20/04/09
      128.   Israels miscalculation 21:41  |  pm 20/04/09
      129.   Xenophobia 21:46  |  Frantz 20/04/09
      130.   Durban II 22:00  |  Andrzej Friedman 20/04/09
      131.   ok so Israel is against 22:05  |  rm 20/04/09
      132.   To #15 indrajaya 22:22  |  Norwegian 20/04/09
      133.   Dutch, perhaps send a note protesting your government 22:25  |  Israeli citizen 20/04/09
      134.   Israel provided anti Israel headlines from Geneva 23:08  |  H.H.M 20/04/09
      135.   #3 Swiss Dino re #20 Baruch gold --who says he is from Hebron 23:34  |  Labhras 20/04/09
      136.   Israel can do that. They R not on Swiss dole. But if America 00:17  |  American in NY 21/04/09
      137.   when the voice of "the devil" has NONE to counter... 00:42  |  eric 21/04/09
      138.   Swiss (Dino): You should be grateful Jews are upset 01:10  |  Christopher 21/04/09
      139.   Jeff Northridge #81 how come... 01:32  |  Roo 21/04/09
      140.   give it a rest rm.The conference is a failure and Ahmadinejad 03:21  |  Jano 21/04/09
      141.   Swiss (Dino) - apologist 03:59  |  Bronxite10 21/04/09
      142.   Transcript of Speech 08:10  |  Mark M 21/04/09
      143.   Mark M 11:27  |  Roo 21/04/09
      144.   Transcript of Speech 14:27  |  Rohan 21/04/09
      145.   No body recant a Holocost 20:31  |  Zaina Kayed Shehab 21/04/09
      146.   Ahmadinehjad, the summit, Syria rep. 22:04  |  Ricardo Kolbe 21/04/09
      147.   Switzerland ... Neutral ??? 23:54  |  ines 21/04/09
      148.   19 23:59  |  Angela K. 21/04/09
      149.   re to Mark M & Roo- here `tis 03:02  |  Lilac 22/04/09
      150.   Colonial racists 13:12  |  Nick Ferriman 22/04/09
      151.   Ferriman - Maybe you have an answer 18:50  |  *BEN JABO 22/04/09
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