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Anti-Israel Durban Declaration Reaffirmed

On Thursday, Western negotiators at the U.N. caved in to the demands of envoys from Islamic states to renew a modern-day form of the decades-long U.N. smear campaign alleging that the Jewish state is racist. Diplomats agreed on a new “anti-racism” declaration that went public Friday at noon. The document is intended to be adopted by all the heads of state and government in attendance at the U.N. “Durban III” conference to be held in New York City on September 22. So far, nine democratic countries, including the United States, Israel, and Canada, have decided to boycott the event and will not agree to the racist “anti-racism” manifesto.

The final sticking point in negotiations, conducted at U.N. headquarters over the last two months, was whether the original Durban Declaration adopted in 2001 in Durban, South Africa, would be reaffirmed. Passed just three days before 9/11, with the enthusiastic participation of Yasser Arafat, the Durban Declaration grossly discriminates against Israel — the only one of 192 UN members charged with racism in the document.

On Thursday, Islamic states led by Benin, as well as South Africa and the rest of the bloc of developing states called the G-77 — which constitutes a majority of UN members — held firm to their demand to reaffirm the whole message of the 2001 declaration. Western opposition fell apart. The document therefore reads: “We heads of state and government … reaffirm our political commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration.”

The document also catapults the Durban Declaration and its racist-Israel libel into the center of the U.N.’s “anti-racism” agenda. It “reaffirms” — actually for the first time — that the Durban Declaration is “a comprehensive framework and solid foundation” for combating racism. It downgrades the relative status of the U.N. racism treaty, which has been on the books for 46 years; negotiators refused to repeat even the 2009 Durban II statement that the treaty was “the principal international instrument to prevent, combat and eradicate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” or to call for the treaty’s universal ratification. Non-parties to the U.N. racism treaty include the likes of Angola, Malaysia, North Korea, and Burma/Myanmar.

In U.N. backrooms Thursday, Islamic states and South Africa taunted the weakness of Western negotiators. South Africa said: “You say you want to commemorate the ten years of the existence of that document, but you don’t want to reaffirm it … Come to terms with the fact that you are celebrating ten years of the existence of a document.” Indeed, the goal of the entire spectacle is now unmistakably set out in the new declaration’s opening words: “We heads of state … gathered at the UN Headquarters … to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration.” It will be a celebration of a conference best remembered for handing anti-Semitism a global stage.

What happens next? The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, a native of Durban and lead champion of the “anti-racism” sham, will begin to parade the new declaration as a contribution to the equal protection of human rights. Prior to Durban II, Pillay audaciously told reporters: “The Durban Declaration transcended divisive and intolerant approaches.” The one and only head of state to attend Durban II in Geneva was the tolerant Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And as soon as the conference adopted an “outcome document,” Pillay held a news conference calling the event “a success story” and pointing to the language which related specifically to Palestinians.

Pillay is well known as the U.N.’s top salesman of the notorious Goldstone report, which she continues to push despite the main author’s having retracted the central allegations against Israel. Not surprisingly, therefore, Pillay has been issuing statements calling objections to Durban III “political distractions” “from the legitimate goal of the commemoration.”

No doubt U.N. negotiators have been careful to conceal their intent by dressing-up U.N.-based anti-Semitism as an “anti-racism” proclamation. Nowhere on its face, for instance, does the document mention the word “Israel.” The new declaration contains multiple seemingly innocuous references to the “victims of racism.” But the references were promoted by negotiators for Islamic states because the Durban Declaration itself refers to Palestinians as “victims” of Israeli racism.

Most revealing of the pathology of today’s United Nations is what happened to Western democratic countries when they were outnumbered — they surrendered. Fifty-five Western states refused to vote in favor of the 2010 General Assembly resolution sanctioning Durban III. But now that the actual event is around the corner and has clearly shaped up to meet the worst expectations, only nine states have pulled out. Consequently, there are just 13 days left to find out if there are any other world leaders who really care about combating racism and intolerance — perpetrated inside and outside the United Nations.

New on The Corner. . .


COMMENTS   19

EXPAND  

   09/09/11 14:33

Get the US out of the UN, and the UN out of the US.

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   09/09/11 16:47

Yes - and the sooner, the better. Here is yet another way we can reduce deficit spending - cut all funding for the UN!

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Bob S
   09/09/11 15:03

The UN is absolutely useless. It is actually worse than useless, it has a negative impact on the world. Let us stop funding it and tell them to relocate to some other part of the world.

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   JRapp
   09/09/11 15:52

The UN is worse than useless, it’s actually harmful. The UN just used a nominally Anti-Racism declaration as a vehicle for promoting Anti-Semitism. Not only has the UN engaged in blatant bigotry against Jews, its simultaneously undermined fighting against actual racism. Orwell would be proud.

If the Deficit Commission needs suggestions about where to cut spending, 100% of the US' contribution to the UN's budget would be a good place to start.

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   09/09/11 15:30

Did the Obama administration and the State Department even really try to fend this off? Either they didn't even bother or the restoration of respect for America that Obama was supposed to catalyze never materialized. Either way, it's another exmaple of this president's abject failures.

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   09/09/11 15:35

You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villiany...than the UN.

There, I fixed Obi-Wan Kenobi's quote (he meant Mos Eisley spaceport but he never visited the United Nations).

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James C Bennett
   09/09/11 16:24

In Kenobi's defence, he made that statement long, long before the UN came into existence.

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   09/09/11 16:59

True, and in a galaxy far, far away...

But really, that bar scene (with Luke, Obi-Wan and Han Solo) was inhabited by most of the representatives to the UN!

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   09/09/11 15:42

I'm sure this will help out Democrats in the NY-9 race this coming Tuesday.

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   09/09/11 15:57
   09/09/11 17:03

Why is the UN so anti-Israel? Find out in this short, succinct video produced by the Jerusalem Institute for Justice for Boycott Durban III.

Join the demonstration on SEPT 21 across from the U.N. to Boycott Durban III
External Link 

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   09/09/11 18:52

"U.N. “Durban III” conference to be held in New York City on September 22"

The solution is obvious: leave the U.N. on 9/21.

If we're stupid enough to participate, "boycott" means putting a paper bag over your head.
Instead, we should show up, look the entire pack of rabble in the eye and say "you're not getting another dime from us".

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   09/09/11 19:00

MyKu:

Fallen to the ground,
Israeli Embassy walls.
Could have used support.

------------------

Thanks a ****load for the environment you foster, U.N. Keep feeding the hate.

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Bruce De Cell
   09/09/11 21:45

I think all candidates for elected office, especially congress and president should be asked it they will sponsor legislation to leave the U.N. Anyone that would say anything other than YES, would not get my vote!

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   09/09/11 23:11

*sigh*

They aren't anti-Semites, they are Jew Haters.

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   09/09/11 23:13

Oh, and in addition to cutting off all US money for the UN and its organizations and evicting it from NY, the UN should be moved to Bangui.

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Kevin89
   09/10/11 11:31

"On Thursday, Islamic states led by Benin, as well as South Africa and the rest of the bloc of developing states called the G-77"

Benin has a lot more Catholics and Protestants than Muslims. Its president is Evangelical.

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J Laura Green
   09/11/11 11:46

Instead of just talking about this charade of "united nations" ENCOURAGE your Congressman/woman to Co Sponsor House Resolution 2829 the UN Transparency Accountability and Reform Act introduced by Rep. Ileana R0s-Lehtinen. The USA pays more than all other countires together to keep this sham organization fed. Let's hold them accountable for their actions or use US taxpayer money for better and more important things here in our country JLG1115

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   09/21/11 15:14

Maybe I'm missing something here? This is the original official Durban Declaration in full - not what was said, not what the NGO's wrote about, the final document. Can someone explain to me what is so hateful about it?

External Link 

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