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Durban walkout a victory for EU, says leader of European Jewish Congress By Cnaan Liphshiz The walkout by European delegates from the Durban II conference in Vienna on Monday is not a victory for Israel but for Europe, the president of the European Jewish Congress yesterday told Haaretz. Moshe Kantor added he hoped the delegates stay out. "European nations demonstrated they will not sit silent again in the face or barbarism," Kantor said on Monday, the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day, after all the delegates from the European Union stormed out of the United Nations conference. The walkout occurred after Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said Israel was a racist entity. Advertisement Kantor said the organizers of the Durban II conference were "working on persuading the delegates to return." He added that despite the "strong message" the walkout sends, "boycotting the event in the first place would've been preferable." Hours before Ahmadinejad's speech Kantor told Haaretz he expected the walkout "as soon as Israel is singled out." After speaking at Tel Aviv University about anti-Semitism, Kantor explained that the vice-commissioner of the European Commission, Jacques Barrot, had personally promised him delegates would walk out "if the conference crossed a red line." Durban II, taking place in Geneva, is a follow-up UN meeting on anti-racism. Israel and Jewish organizations fear it is will single Israel out based on the 2001 Durban conference in South Africa, which equated Zionism with racism and accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing." Major Jewish groups, Kantor says, have held hundreds of meetings on the subject. He said he could not offer an assessment of how much money was spent on preemptive preparations. Though Durban II topped the agenda for Jewish groups, their efforts paled in comparison with state funding by the meeting's Muslim backers, according to Kantor. He named Iran, Pakistan and Libya as having poured "tens of millions of dollars" into the meeting. Decisions by EU countries that affect Israel, including the decision to initially participate in Durban II, reflect "the demands of their own societies," Kantor said. Those societies, he said, have between them "more neo-Nazis than Jews, and many more Muslims. This is Europe today." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Branding Eli Wiesel WATCH: On Holocaust Day, Ahmadinejad entourage calls Nobel laureate a 'Zio-Nazi.' Remembering Shoah IN PICTURES / Annual memorial day begins with ceremony at Yad Vashem museum.

Read & React Netanyahu: We won't let Holocaust deniers repeat genocide against Jews Responses: 103 Ahmadinejad: States boycotting Durban II out of arrogance and selfishness Responses: 62 U.S.: Ahmadinejad speech vile, but doesn't preclude diplomacy Responses: 118 WATCH: Ahmadinejad entourage brands Elie Wiesel 'Zio-Nazi' Responses: 34 More Headlines 23:45 Netanyahu accepts Shalit negotiator's request to quit 23:51 Obama invites Mideast leaders for separate White House talks 23:54 Former chief rabbi: Ahmadinejad should visit Yad Vashem 22:36 WATCH: Ahmadinejad entourage brands Elie Wiesel 'Zio-Nazi' 23:54 IN PICTURES / Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day 23:53 Delegates unanimously adopt Durban II anti-racism declaration 23:55 Egypt negotiator to visit Israel, may avoid meeting Lieberman 20:20 U.K. to review arms exports to Israel in wake of Gaza war 22:31 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel 00:00 Dutch parliament agrees to block all dialogue with Hamas 17:15 U.S. Congresswoman denies interceding in AIPAC spy case 18:43 'The new Hitler speaks Persian' 19:39 IDF troops detain two Palestinians infiltrating from Gaza 22:08 UN: Ahmadinejad dropped Holocaust denial from speech 17:22 Iran warns Israel not to attack nuclear sites 21:21 Germany to excavate yard said to hold remains of 753 Jews killed by Nazis Previous Editions Select Day 21 apr 20 apr 19 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr 14 apr 13 apr 12 apr 10 apr 09 apr 08 apr

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