U.S. rights groups urge Obama to send Durban II delegation

Dozens of human rights groups and activists in the United States have petitioned President Barack Obama to rethink his decision to boycott a United Nations anti-racism conference, expected by many countries to be used as a forum for criticizing Israel.

(Click here to read the petition)

"The Durban Review Conference is one of the most important international platforms for discussing the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerances," the activists wrote in a letter to the White House.

"Given the brutal history of slavery and Jim Crow in the United States, your Administration has much to contribute to this discussion," the petition read.

"A boycott would be inconsistent with your policy of engagement with the international community... How can your Administration engage in any manner with the international community if it has no representation at the discussion table?"

United Nations officials said a few weeks ago that Muslim-backed references to 'defamation of religion' and criticism of Israel have been dropped from a draft being prepared for next month's world racism meeting.

Initial draft resolutions for the United Nations Durban II summit branded Israel as an occupying state that carries out racist policies. It now speaks only of concern about the negative stereotyping of religions and does not single out Israel for criticism, according to the officials.

The April 20-25 meeting in Geneva is designed to review progress in fighting racism since the global body's first such conference eight years ago in Durban, South Africa.

Israel and Canada said they would boycott this year's meeting in Geneva. The United States and Italy have also vowed not to attend unless countries commit to a balanced declaration. The European Union and Australia have threatened to follow suit unless Muslim countries backed down.

Israel has rejected the revision of the draft, saying that while all direct references to Israel and the Israel-Palestinian conflict have been removed in an attempt to keep the European Union from boycotting, it still implicitly singles out Israel.

That 2001 meeting was dominated by clashes over the Middle East and the legacy of slavery, and particularly marred by attacks on Israel and anti-Israel demonstrations at a parallel conference of non-governmental organizations.

The U.S. and Israel walked out midway through the 2001 conference over a draft resolution that singled out Israel for criticism and likened Zionism - the movement to establish and maintain a Jewish state - to racism. The European Union also refused to accept demands by Arab states to criticize Israel for its "racist practices."

In the end, the 2001 conference dropped criticism of Israel. It urged governments to take concrete steps to fight discrimination and recognized the plight of the Palestinian people and the need for Israel to have security.