In a rather bland paragraph the New York Times informs us that Changes Ahead of Talks on Racism:
Countries preparing for a United Nations conference on racism have removed references to Israel and religious defamation from its draft declaration, potentially clearing the way for Western states to attend.
Apparently the threats of the West have had an affect. Or maybe not. Anne Bayefsky reports that while most specific references to Israel have been removed, one major stumbling block remains.
On some of these counts, the document makes substantial changes. It is somewhat shorter, removes grotesque allegations like calling Israel an apartheid state and deletes the words “defamation of religions.”
But most important, it refuses to disavow the 2001 Declaration. On the contrary, it “Reaffirms the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) as it was adopted at the World Conference against Racism … in 2001.” That declaration says Palestinians are victims of Israeli racism–with Israel the only U.N. state found guilty of racism. And though today’s draft divides provisions into the negotiable and non-negotiable, it announces that reaffirming Durban I is text which does not “remain to be negotiated.”
This “new and improved” document, therefore, breaches President Obama’s key conditions. It “reaffirms in toto the flawed 2001 Durban Declaration.” In so doing, it does not satisfy the demand that no country or conflict be singled out. Unsurprisingly, behind the scenes, Palestinian negotiators in Geneva are expressing satisfaction with today’s result.
In short, the organizers removed specific references to Israel, but re-affirmed the 2001 declaration that has all those references. Their hope is to finesse the issue and encourage Western countries to return while leaving the flawed premise of the conference intact.
Bayefsky calls on President Obama to denounce the proceedings and ignore the phony changes.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
