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The Zionist Federation of New Zealand
This September, the UN is holding what is being referred to as the Durban IV Conference, the 4th iteration of the UN’s World Conference Against Racism (WCAR). The first one was held in 2001 and has become known for its blatant hostility to Israel and openly antisemitic overtones. US Congressman Tom Lantos, a Shoah survivor, who went to Durban 1, wrote the following about the conference –
“Arafat delivered a speech to the conference plenary that was both hateful and vituperative, describing Israel as engaging in a “racist, colonialist conspiracy” against Palestinians. “The aim of this Government,” Arafat said, “is to force our people to their knees and to make them surrender in order to continue her occupation, settlements and racist practices, so as to liquidate our people by carrying out the Orainim (i.e. Hell) plan which were declared by Sharon (sic)…”
“Another ring in the Durban circus was the NGO forum, taking place just outside the conference center. Although the NGO proceedings were intended to provide a platform for the wide range of civil society groups interested in the conference’s conciliatory mission, the forum quickly became stacked with Palestinian and fundamentalist Arab groups.
Each day, these groups organised anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic rallies around the meetings, attracting thousands. One flyer which was widely distributed showed a photograph of Hitler [with] the question “What if I had won?” [and the] answer: “There would be NO Israel…”.
At a press conference held by Jewish NGOs to discuss their concerns with the direction the conference was taking, an accredited NGO, the Arab Lawyers Union, distributed a booklet filled with anti-Semitic caricatures frighteningly like those seen in the Nazi hate literature printed in the 1930s.“Sadly, but perhaps not surprisingly, the official NGO document that was later adopted by a majority of the 3,000 NGOs in the forum branded Israel a “racist apartheid state” guilty of “genocide” and called for an end to its “racist crimes” against Palestinians. It also called for the convening of an international war crimes tribunal to try Israeli citizens.”
It will come as no surprise that no other country or ethnic group was singled out and many, not just Congressman Tom Lantos, came away from the Conference saddened and disturbed by what they had experienced.
In 2009, the UN held a Durban Review Conference (known as Durban II) and in 2011 it held a third Conference (Durban III). Due to the resolutions and agenda being circulated prior to these conferences and the antisemitism experienced at Durban I, many Western countries, including New Zealand, boycotted both conferences.
Then Foreign Minister Murray McCully was quoted as saying the following about NZ boycotting Durban III, “We remain concerned that the commemoration of the 2001 Durban Declaration could reopen the offensive and antisemitic debates which undermined the original World Conference. For these reasons, we have decided not to participate. New Zealand is fully committed to combating racism and we agree the UN should lead discussions on the elimination of racism. That is why we engaged constructively in the preparatory discussions in New York. However, in the end, the text is not one that we could support.”
The Durban IV Conference which is due to take place on 22 September (which incidentally is the second day of Succot!) is, according to UN Watch, set “to mark the 20th anniversary of the infamous Durban anti-racism conference”. As a result, many countries including the US, Australia, Britain, Canada, Israel, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, France and Germany have decided to boycott the Durban 4 Conference.
More information about the Durban Conferences can be found on the Israel Institute of New Zealand’s website.
We need your help!
Unfortunately, our Foreign Minister, despite being asked, has refused to comment on whether or not New Zealand will attend or boycott the antisemitic Durban IV Conference. The Zionist Federation of New Zealand has instigated a campaign to push our government into joining other Western Democracies in boycotting Durban IV, and here’s how you can help.
Below is a letter we have drafted which can be copied and pasted into an email to send to your local MP, the Prime Minister and/ or the Foreign Minister. The more letters they receive, the more likely they are to take notice.
You can find the email details of your local MP by clicking here.
Dear…
I am writing to request that the NZ Government refuse to participate in the UN’s 4th World Conference Against Racism, otherwise known as Durban IV, which is due to take place from 22 September this year, given the virulent antisemitism and Israel hatred that is promulgated at these events.
We strongly believe New Zealand officials and representatives should withdraw from this event in line with other Western countries that do not endorse irredeemably tainted bias and racism against the Jewish people, and be consistent with New Zealand declining to attend in 2009 and 2011.
At Durban IV, the UN is poised to adopt a declaration calling for full implementation of the 2001 Durban Declaration. This singles out only one country by name, Israel.
At Durban I there were also openly antisemitic flyers being distributed. One such flyer which was widely distributed showed a photograph of Hitler with the question “What if I had won?” and the answer: “There would be NO Israel…”.
The Durban I conference also produced a plethora of anti-Israel content. New Zealand officials expressed disappointment about the turn of events at that conference and did not take part in the two subsequent attempts (Durban II and Durban III) to repeat it.
We ask the NZ government not to attend this event in line with the stance of previous NZ governments and that of our traditional allies who have indicated their intention not to go. To date Germany, Israel, the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Austria, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and France, have stated they will not attend the Durban IV conference for the reasons noted above.
We urge the NZ government to continue its proud history of standing up to the racism, antisemitism, and demonisation which characterises these conferences and not take part in Durban IV.
Yours sincerely,
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