Durban 2 Geneva anti-semitism allegations Canada not participating IJV

Refuting allegations of anti-Semitism
at the World Conference Against Racism: the facts

Anti-Semitism is defined as prejudice and discrimination against Jews and Judaism. Criticism of Israel can be seen as anti-Semitic only if it treats Israel and its practices as inherently “Jewish,” or if it conflates Israel with Judaism. Ironically, the Israeli government and its proponents often do just that when they claim to represent all Jews and insist that criticizing Israel is anti-Semitic. Given this, it is understandable that many non-Jews who are justifiably concerned about the behaviour of the Israeli government hold negative views of Jews. Furthermore, many Jews are concerned that in branding all criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism, the Israeli government is actually promoting hatred of Jews.

There were a few isolated anti-Semitic incidents (that is, prejudice against Jews and Judaism) at the NGO conference preceding the 2001 UN World Conference Against Racism. They were so rare that many of the 10,000 NGO delegates never encountered these anti-Semites.

Anti-Semitic opinions were NOT reflected in the NGO Forum Declaration which was put out by the NGO conference that preceded the WCAR. The NGO Forum Declaration addressed racist policies world-wide. Out of its 473 recommendations, there was nothing which criticized or attacked Jews or Judaism. To the contrary: five of its recommendations explicitly called for action against anti-Semitism.

Nineteen of the Declaration’s recommendations (4% of the total) addressed concerns of the Palestinian people. In what is becoming a characteristic response, the Israel Lobby characterized these criticisms of Israeli mistreatment of Palestinians as evidence of anti-Semitism. Responding to the Lobby’s angry denunciations of the items addressing Palestinian concerns, the U.N. High Commissioner refused to release the NGO Forum Declaration, thereby allowing the interests of Israel and its unquestioning supporters to trump justice for the world’s victims of racism.

There is nothing anti-Semitic in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) report that came out of the formal WCAR conference. In its 180 pages, only 250 words address matters related to Israel and Palestine, all of which scrupulously respect both Jews and Israel. The DDPA is the basis for the Durban Review conference that is set to take place in Geneva in April.

Since 2001, well-funded Israel Lobby groups have mobilized to discredit and derail the 2009 Durban Review Conference. These include the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, UN Watch, ICARE-Magenta Foundation, the American Jewish Committee, and the World Jewish Diplomatic Corp of the World Jewish Congress. In Canada, they include the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA), the Canadian Jewish Congress, and B’nai Brith. All of these groups choose to characterize as anti-Semitic legitimate criticism of racist Israeli policies and practices. The World Jewish Congress and its national affiliates have lobbied Western governments to boycott Durban II. In addition, they attended the African and Latin American preparatory meetings for the Durban Review Conference in order to counter resolutioins related to Palestinian oppression, rights of refugees, racial profiling, and Islamophobia.

On February 5, 2008 Israel Lobby groups held an unpublicized meeting in Amsterdam with José Dougan-Beaca, head of the U.N. Anti-Discrimination Unit, which is the secretariat responsible for the Durban Review Conference. Dougan-Beaca largely became a partisan advocate for the Lobby’s strategies in the organizing of the Review Conference to the detriment of pro-Durban NGOs. For example, the Secretariat did not promote funding for an NGO conference. In addition, it allowed the Durban Review Conference to be moved from Durban, South Africa to Geneva, Switzerland, reducing the number of NGOs that could afford to attend.

Israel Lobby groups also flooded foundations and the UN, which had funded Durban 2001 NGO participants, threatening to denounce them as anti-Semitic and to jeopardize their charitable status if they fund NGOs to participate in the Durban Review Conference and its preparatory process. As a result, funding for NGOs has almost evaporated. The Secretariat for the Durban Review Conference didn’t even inform many NGOs about the Preparatory Committee meetings or the regional Review process. As a result, only about 35 NGOs – including about 20 Israel Lobby NGO delegates! – were able to observe the second substantive session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2009 Durban Review Conference, which took place from 6 to 17 October 2008.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights explicitly condemned anti-Semitism in her opening address to the Durban Preparatory Conference in October, 2008.

As someone who participated in the meetings of the 2nd Preparatory Committee, I can attest that there was NO anti-Semitism there. Furthermore, I was accorded tremendous respect as a Jew by all government and NGO participants, including the Palestinian, Syrian, Iranian, and other Middle Eastern delegates.

There were approximately 20 Israel Lobby delegates to the Preparatory Conference who accused the conference of anti-Semitism whenever concerns were raised about Palestinian rights or Islamophobia. For example, the Eye on the UN website posted the Syrian ambassador’s mild diplomatic concerns about Palestinians and racial profiling, accusing him of demonizing Israel and limiting freedom of expression. (You can view this at www.eyeontheun.org/videos.asp?10/9/2008.)

In January 2008, Canada announced it would boycott the Durban Review Conference, and since then, Israel and the US have also withdrawn. This boycott damages our country’s reputation and betrays the world’s (including Canada’s) victims of racism. Only the Bloc stood firm against the Israel Lobby’s lies and threats. I found no substance to allegations of anti-Semitism at WCAR. Independent Jewish Voices urges the Conservatives, Liberals, and NDP to rejoin the Durban Review Conference and stand up against racism.

Address by Navanethem Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to the Opening of the Durban 2nd Preparatory Committee, Geneva, 6 October 2008.