Former SAUJS chairlady, Caylee Talpert, gives us another update about the events of the last few days at what must be one of the most Orwellian events of the decade, a United Nations anti-racism conference that has given a platform to some of the worst human rights abusers on the planet; a conference where all Jewish students were temporally banned on account of the actions of some Jews; and where real victims of genocide like Darfuris had to protest in the hope of getting some attention.
The Show goes on! A show is pretty much exactly what over the past week the Durban Review Conference has become. Whilst at times very entertaining, unfortunately I don’t think I walked away from “Durban Two” with much more than I would have, had I had spent the week at the Cannes Film Festival and I don’t think the victims of racism would have known any difference either for that matter.
Despite a fully planned schedule, Day 2 of the conference (Tuesday) started off fairly quietly for the students. First we were forced to remain in the “Welcome Centre” where we were based as a result of security threats. However even after we were “released” we still could not enter the UN as we had lost our accreditation as a result of the two clowns that ‘stole the show’ during Ahmadinejad’s speech the day before. The fact that these students were actually accredited as part of the French Jewish Students Union and not the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS) like the rest of us, didn’t seem to make a difference, after all Jews are Jews.
Once we were eventually allowed back in (and not before the media had reported on the Jewish Students losing their accreditation), we attended a few side events. Some proved enlightening with human rights heroes like Ellie Wiesel, Erwin Cotler and Alan Dershowitz addressing the audience (all organised by Jewish organisations); but others such as the one on “Human Rights, Discrimination and Islamaphobia”, organised by Interfaith International and Al Hakim Foundation, were not so enlightening. (Although NGO events like these where accusations of ‘the Zionists controlling the world’ and committing the ‘gravest violations in the 21st Centaury’ are a regular occurrence and hardly a newsworthy event for those more familiar with the United Nations Human Rights Council’s daily activity.)
The day ended with a Darfur Rally to try and put this horrific Genocide on the conference’s agenda. The Rally comprised largely of Jews, Darfuris and a couple of international students. Despite around 200 people and two hours spent chanting ‘Al Bashir, Criminal’ or ‘UN listen up, stop the Genocide in Darfur’ lead by the Darfuris, there was little news coverage. I guess after a day spent on Ahmadinejad, Darfur just isn’t that interesting anymore, after all its already been going on for 6 years and the deaths of over 500 000 people and displacement of 2.5 million others is just another tragedy taking place in Africa, far away from the imposing structure of the UN building with its well manicured lawns and massive halls. Yet another example of the indifference and myopia of a world where Genocide has become ‘old news’.
Wednesday we were again forced to stay away from the UN after the ‘Frenchies’ decided to hand out red noses in the council and again we were all found guilty by association. Instead we attended a series of lectures in the morning by human rights activists from around the world. This event, organised by a coalition of NGOs showcased the real heroes in the fight for human rights, (such as Nazanin Afshim Jam, an Iraqi born women who now runs the organisation “stop Child Executions” or Ahmed Diraige, a former governor of Darfur). Surely it is these people and not the likes of Ahmadinejad who should have been given the official platform at a conference dedicated to fighting racism and intolerance.
The afternoon brought an Israel conference organised by the multitude of Jewish NGOs that had come to defend Israel and Human Rights and decided to make use of the wealth of dynamic people who were already at the conference. The highlight for me was a panel on humanitarian projects carried out by Israel or Israelis both internally and around the world. We heard from Gal Lousky, CEO of Israeli flying Aid that provided humanitarian relief in countries all over the world, many of which are hostile to Israel; Dr Sion Houri from the “Save a child’s heart” program whose main recipients are children in the developing and especially Arab world and the stories of an Ethiopian Jew, a Sudanese Refugee and a Bedouin academic. For me, it was nice to be reminded why I initially got involved in the fight to defend Israel. While this was undeniably an Israeli publicity exercise and the audience largely Jewish, I think sometimes we forget about these things and may even begin to hold Israel to the unrealistic standard that the politicised International bodies do.
I now study in Israel at Hebrew University and one of the things I both love and hate about studying there is its openness and the freedom it offers to subscribe to any views. Much of my time I spend looking at the problems in Israeli society which, as I’m learning, seem to become more numerous by the day. Yet, at the same time, I am proud that this is what I am being taught. That I am not being subjected to a rose-coloured version of the country I love so much and that myself and other Israeli students are being empowered with the knowledge to do something about Israel’s problems. As Allan Dershowitz puts it, “in life there is always a simple answer and it’s always wrong!” Because life is complex and filled with nuances and ambiguity, simple answers just don’t exist especially with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel has its own problems that cannot be ignored but unless you are willing to make Israel your home, you can only hold it to a standard that you would expect of every other state in the world. This equality among the nations of the world is all that we ask from the UN Human Rights Council. From my experience of the last few day at this UN sponsored ‘anti-racism’ circus it unfortunately seems that such equality for the Jewish state is still being denied.
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Here's the final piece from the Geneva Durban Review Conference from the National Director of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies, Wendy Kahn. Wendy sent this through last week Thursday, but I've unfortunately not found the time to publish it until now.
Good morning South Africa.
Today is my last day at the conference and it certainly appears that the conference is starting to wind down. I must start with a fabulous quote that is doing the rounds here, "Giving the Holocaust denying Ahmadinejad the platform to lecture the world about racism is like inviting Bernie Madoff to headline a global conference on business ethics".
The conference document was formally adopted on Tuesday and yesterday saw submissions by all the countries present. They are running late however and the last 13 countries will provide their comments this morning.
Governmental submissions
The speeches contained a long string of condemnations of Ahmadinejad's offensive introductory speech, mainly coming from Argentina, Ukraine, the UK, France, Sweden and Spain, while Austria, Lithuania and the Holy See also heavily criticised.
The last country to present their submission yesterday was Iran, who surprise surprise was quite unrepentant for their Monday onslaught! They heavily criticised Norway and other countries that had criticised Ahmadinejad's speech calling for `freedom of expression as a human right' and called for countries to cease from making `judgemental remarks'. Iran also took exception to the Secretary General of the United Nation's critical remarks about the speech. They will be exercising their right of reply - not sure when that will be.
NGO session with High Commissioner
Yesterday I attended a question and answer session with the High Commissioner, Navi Pillay. A few interesting points came out of this:
Sitting opposite us at the session (and doing exceptional networking at the conference) were a trio of Neturei Karta folk with their Palestinian flag badges - due to UN regulations, they had to leave their trademark sandwich boards at home.
NGO submissions in the Plenary
Following extensive debates and serious confusion, approximately 150 NGO's will be making 2 minute submissions in the plenary today.
Again with thanks to our SA delegation, we were able to assist the Caucus in unravelling some of the confusion around this matter and approximately 4 Jewish NGO's will be making submissions, one of which will use their slot on behalf of the International Jewish Coalition, which will be presented by the co-Chair of the Jewish Human Rights Coalition (UK) Rosalind Preston.
Was the Durban Review like Durban 1?
When drafting our International Jewish Coalition statement we included the comment, "The World Conference Against Racism in 2001 is remembered for the antisemitism on the streets of Durban. The Durban Review in Geneva will be remembered for the antisemitism within the Assembly hall of the UN, as clearly spelt out by Iran's President."
It must be noted however that this speech was followed by unequivocal condemnation by many countries, by the Secretary General of the UN and the HRC High Commissioner.
None of the violent and overt antisemitism as seen in Durban in 2001 was evident here in Geneva.
The event was monitored closely by the authorities who showed a zero tolerance for any unruly behaviour or violation of rules.
The anti-Israel or pro Iran rallies were dismally attended and were certainly in no way reminiscent of 2001.
Thought I'd share the comments of Ronald Eissens from the Dutch Magenta Foundation, who made the following comparison:
"People ask us all the time if this conference is like Durban. No, it's not. It is absolutely incomparable. Foremost size-wise. Only 314 accredited NGOs here with 1073 NGO delegates, which is nothing like Durban, but also atmosphere-wise. It is mostly a well-behaved affair with only a few incidents. Stickers and some flyers were confiscated by the UN Police. A small number of side-events were cancelled because of content not in line with the DDPA and/or abuse language. A few NGO delegates and one journalist had their accreditation revoked. Kudos to the UN people at the Palais the Nations for doing a great job, special kudos to the UN Police and security forces for keeping everybody on the straight and narrow and handling it all with utmost care and friendliness.
International Jewish Coalition
International Jewry was far better prepared for this conference. Preparation had started early last year and it could be clearly seen how more effective the responses were.
The coalition provided a coordinated front at the Conference. It was wonderful to see Jewish NGO's putting aside their egos and turf issues to work together for the common good.
Our caucus office (situated in the WJC suites near the UN) was a constant buzz of activity, run in a professional and efficient way.
The Geneva community also arranged a fully equipped Welcome Centre for us at the entrance to the UN, where we had our caucus briefings and we could buy kosher sandwiches and salads. The community welcomed us with a smile and warm hospitality.
This afternoon I leave Geneva to return home, feeling gratified that International Jewry played a significant role in preventing a repeat of 2001.
Regards
WENDY
Here's day 2 of the Durban Review Conference diary from SA Jewish Board of Deputies National Director Wendy Kahn.
Well the first day of the Durban Review Conference started with quite a bang, thanks to the Iranian Leader.
The International Jewish Caucus is incensed that a man representing a country inflicting such grotesque human rights violations (besides his Holocaust Denial and `wipe Israel off the map’ statements) could be allowed to be one of the introductory speakers at a conference purporting to further the causes of Human Rights and opposing racism. Particularly offensive to have this Holocaust Denier speak at the Eve of Yom Hashoah.
It was so exciting to see the massive walk-out during his speech as he began to demonise Israel and Zionists. Included in the walk out were all the EU government representatives. You could see a visibly empty hall.
The Foreign Minister of Norway then made a speech rebuking the Ahhmadinejad speech.
Israel has recalled its Ambassador to Switzerland in protest to the Ahmadinejad reception in this country by the President.
Two other highlights for South Africans:
Some other developments on the 21st of April:
More detailed feedback about two events yesterday:
Speech by Iranian President Ahmadinejad (20/4/09, 15:15)
Some interesting information about the Ahmadinejad speech yesterday:
It was a watershed moment of this conference in that it completely discredited the Human Rights and anti-Racism agenda that a conference of this nature should be holding dear, vindicating our concerns. That a head of state of a country with the atrocious human rights record that Iran is responsible is asked to be an introductory speaker of an anti Racism conference is a complete disgrace.
While I believe that the International Jewish Caucus and other Jewish Organisations responded effectively, and that there were many hard hitting international responses, it still does not detract from the offensiveness of this event.
To give you some further insights into the afternoon:
Click "continue reading" to access the restof the report...
Among the 200 odd Jewish students representing the Jewish people at the United Nation 'Racism' Review Conference (Durban 2) is former SAUJS Chairlady Caylee Talpert. She has offered to blog for us live from Durban 2. Below is her first installment of yesterday's shocking events. How can it be, we must ask, that a UN conference dedicated to fighting racism could invite as a key note speaker a Holocaust denier - on Holocaust memorial day?
Caylee and all the other Jewish students who are standing up and opposing this hypocricy deserve our lasting respect. I, having been a delegate at Durban 1, know how rough it can get. One literally stares pure hatred in the face. But face it down we must if the words 'never again' are to have any meaning.
Today I spent Yom Hashoah somewhat differently to what I’m used to in South Africa, sitting in the hot sun at Great Park Cemetery each year watching a ceremony. Instead, I spent the day at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, the very institution established with the intention of preventing further Genocides and atrocities in the 21st Century; In the very city where the Avian Conference took place prior to the Holocaust, effectively guaranteeing the world’s indifference in the face of the Nazi onslaught and eventually extermination of 6 million Jews.
This week I am attending the World Review Conference against Racism, Racial intolerance Xenophobia and other forms of Discrimination. I am here on behalf of SAUJS as part of a delegation organised by The European Union of Jewish students (EUJS) and working together with WUJS and Jewish students from around the word. The name of the conference is quite a mouthful but undeniably suggests worthy aspirations. However, unfortunately as those familiar with the first such conference in Durban in 2001 know well, the conference’s impact doesn’t go much further than its noble sounding title and in fact in 2001 did the exact opposite, offering a showcase of some of the worst anti-Semitism the world has seen since the Holocaust. In fact what becomes evident is that if anything, anti-Semitism and indifference and the way in which they paralyze international bodies are to a large extent still responsible for allowing the continuation of many of the atrocities in the world today.
The day begun with a demonstration outside the UN where as a group of diverse students from all over the world taped their mouths shut (no small task for students) and held posters protesting the silence of the UN on some of the most tragic human rights violations of our time. Our posters displayed graphic pictures ranging from abuse of women, to murder of gays, child-abuse and the Genocide in Darfur. Perhaps the most moving part however was when a young Sudanese couple who were walking past asked to join us in the protest, taping their mouths shut and standing alongside us as part of our demonstration. Unfortunately, however, once our demonstration had concluded, we heard little further mention of these crimes the rest of the day. In fact, instead of hearing anything about Human Rights, the conference and all discussions became focussed almost exclusively on the notorious president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinijad and his speech that afternoon. Despite the fact that this was already the second such UN address by the fervent racist the real insult was that it was at the Human Rights Council, on Yom Hashoah and with a personal welcome from the Swiss President, you couldn’t stage a greater mockery of the conference if you tried. Granted the EU delegation and some other delegations walked out (interestingly this even included Jordan) when Ahmadinijad began spewing his racism, hatred and anti-Semitism, but the question remains, why was he there in the first place? How do you explain to the Iranian citizens protesting outside why the man who’s still oppressing their families at home was given an almost hero’s welcome and great applause within the HUMAN RIGHTS Council at a conference on RACISM. Hypocrisy? The UN? No way!
As for SA, well obviously walking out was never an option- to take a public stand on racism...come on now-that’s just not SA’s foreign policy! Foreign Monster Nkosazama Dlamini Zuma did address the assembly shortly after, she did indirectly condemn Ahmadinijad in that she opposed the conference being used as a forum for hatred but anything stronger than that-well that’s just pushing it... this was a “positive speech.” Or at least when you put it into the context that it was South Africa that introduced the current abbreviated reference to the Holocaust into the Draft Outcome Document because it felt the previous document placed too much emphasis on the Holocaust (which is only the worst human rights atrocity of all time). But perhaps I’m being too cynical; after all if Deputy Foreign Minister Hajaig had been our representative she may have been more inclined to commend Ahmadinijad. After all Ahmadinijad did close in calling for us “not to forget the essence of every human being and to make the world a better place.”
So it was an interesting day with lots to contemplate as I sat at the Geneva Jewish Community’s Holocaust memorial this evening, in front of the famous three legged chair, a monument to land mine victims and with the flags of the 182 UN members waving in the background. (Considering the fact that the entire ceremony was in French which I don’t understand a word of, I had plenty of time to contemplate.) I began to question why I was here as well as the almost 200 other Jewish students from around the world that are here with me and the countless Jewish organisations all represented at the conference. And I realised that I had to be there, that the conference deals with the two things most important to me in the whole world: the Jewish people, and by extension the State of Israel and Human Rights, the two being in my mind intimately connected. I’ve always cared deeply about Human Rights, perhaps it’s because of my identity as a Jew growing up as the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor that caused me to care so much; or perhaps its growing up in South Africa where despite being born after the horrors of Apartheid it’s still very much an integral part of my consciousness, or perhaps it’s the Tutsi survivors I heard speak on my trip to Rwanda last year and the gruesome sites I was exposed to on that trip or the stories of the Sudanese refugees I am now working with in Israel. All of these factors culminate in making it virtually impossible for me not to care about human rights, to want to end the horrors that are still so prevalent and affect so many people in the world today.
And the second reason I was there, is Israel, is because I’m Jewish and because when people try delegitimising the country that offers the only guarantee to my people that a Holocaust can never happen again, I care. Especially in a world where such atrocities still exist and are known and yet continue nevertheless. I need to defend the Jewish state, even if I have my own reservations, even if some of their policies I myself don’t agree with. In a world where a man calling for Israel’s destruction is given a central platform to voice his call for the state’s Annihilation, effectively a call to genocide, by the UN’s own definition, I have to care, I have to be there and to speak out and make my voice heard. However, it’s not only because I feel a need to defend Israel from unjustified attack and effectively discrimination when it is the only state singled out in a world full of state atrocities. What bothers me about the UN and particularly the Human rights Council’s obsessive focus on Israel is that the real human rights violators, the countries that allow for the stoning of women, children forced into becoming murderers as child soldiers or hanging people on the basis of their sexuality do not get discussed. Anti-Semitism has hijacked the human rights council and we as Jews need to use our voices to try change this, not only for ourselves but for victims all over the world, so that their rights are protected and dealt with and so that conferences on Racism can actually address the noble goals they set out to achieve.
Today marked the beginning of the Durban review conference in Geneva. Dubbed Durban 2, it has followed the path set by the previous anti-Racism conference in Durban 2000, which turned into an anti-Semitic hate-fest.
| One of the many hateful posters on display at the World Conference against Racism in Durban in 2001. Will Durban 2 be a repeat? (Photo from Eye on the UN) |
Like its predecessor, this conference will hijack time that should be focused on discussing solutions to the very real problems of racism in the world in order to delegitimise and demonise Israel. Once again, the real problems of the world need to be set aside so the Palestinian lobby can have their day in the sun lying and seething about the Jewish state.
This time however, the Jew haters haven’t had everything exactly their way. This is honesty just too brilliant...in a move now being referred to as an exceptional coup d’état, UN Watch managed to expose the septic state of UN hypocrisy whereby, in the words of UN Watch “the chief organisers of a world ‘anti-racism’ conference are themselves the worst perpetrators of racism and discrimination".
UN Watch managed to organise a Palestinian doctor who has been a victim of Libya’s discrimination to confront the Durban Review Conference’s Chairperson, Libyan Najjat Al-Hajjaj, on Libya’s brutal torture and scapegoating of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor. The video clip has been viewed around the world.
Click here for the full briefing from UN Watch.
Yesterday, Barak Obama pulled the US out of the conference due to the failure of the review panel to address the concerns that the US had with the excessive focus on Israel. The US joins Israel, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic and Australia who will all be boycotting the conference.
South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) National Director Wendy Kahn is attending the conference and has offered us a unique insider view into the conference with an exclusive series of daily updates from Geneva. The SAJBD has lobbied long and hard to try and convince African states that the conference should focus on real racism and avoid a repeat of the anti-Semitic hatred that marred the initial conference.
In addition to the SAJBD’s updates we have a friend at the conference who has also agreed to send through updates of what she hears and sees. We will collate the two into a “Live from Durban 2” series.
The first update, from the SAJBD, appears below:
Today is the beginning of the Durban Review Conference to be held in Geneva.
The SA Jewish Board of Deputies is attending the Durban Review Conference (DRC) as an accredited NGO and also as part of the International Jewish Caucus, in which we have been very active.
Over the next week, I will do my best to update you on recent developments.
For today I will give you a few developments, although this will of course only reach you tomorrow (Monday). Please note that this is a summary of numerous lengthy documents.
It’s been organised by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, the International Coordinating Network on Palestine and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Committee.
They presented a 300 page report on Israel’s Practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the International Legal Prohibition on Apartheid.
Topics included lawyers speaking about bringing Israel to the International Criminal Court and European Court of Justice for War Crimes, workshops on campaigns against the JNF, debates on Israeli Apartheid with credit to Carter’s book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid and political experience in the trade union movement in the combat against South Africa. The concept was vaunted as a valuable tool for political mobilization and solidarity. Campaigns were proposed to launch international measures to reclaim Palestinian property and also countermeasures against those attempting to criminalise the boycott. “The world stopped Nazism, we’ll stop Zionism”.
Posters included, “Shopping can kill....made in Israel”, “Boycott Israeli Dates”, “Don’t buy Israeli Apartheid”, “Sionisme=Apartheid”. (Information supplied by Simon Wiesenthal Centre).
We’ll get further updates as the conference proceeds.
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