Gearing up for Geneva: U.S. and others to boycott Durban II

The United States announced yesterday that it will boycott the Durban Review Conference (Durban II), following months of deliberations. State Department spokesman Robert Wood said, "We are deeply grateful to the many country delegations and senior United Nations officials, who have worked steadfastly to improve the review conference outcome document and to refocus the Durban Review Conference squarely on racism and discrimination. We applaud the progress."

However, the document still contains language that reaffirms the Durban Declaration from the original conference in 2001, which the United States has long said it is unable to support. The declaration singles out the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and passes judgment on key issues that can only be resolved in negotiations between the two sides.

Wood also said the United States has serious concerns with relatively new additions to the document regarding incitement, which run counter to the U.S. commitment to "unfettered free speech." He noted that, "the United States is profoundly committed to ending racism and racial discrimination, and will work with all people and nations to build greater resolve and enduring political will to halt racism and discrimination wherever it occurs."

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbying organization said yesterday that the U.S. decision was "the right thing to do," and added that it reaffirms the American commitment to combat racism and intolerance.

A number of human-rights groups said the decision was not consistent with U.S. foreign policy, which aims to reach out even to hostile states like Iran.

Germany, Canada and Holland also said they would not participate in the Durban II conference this week in Geneva, citing similar reasons. The latest country to decide to shun the event was Australia. "Regrettably, we cannot be confident that the review conference will not again be used as a platform to air offensive views, including anti-Semitic views," said Foreign Minister Stephen Smith yesterday.

The UK, on the other hand, confirmed yesterday that it will be attending.

Israel, which had said it would boycott the event from the outset, announced it would launch a publicity campaign while it is going on. Israel is particularly concerned with the planned address by Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and said it 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 Avigdor Lieberman issued a statement yesterday, 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."