The Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) has today welcomed
the decision by the UK government that they join the USA,
Australia and Canada in not attending the Durban IV conference
this September.
In December 2020, the UN General Assembly voted in favour of
holding a “one-day high-level meeting of the General Assembly to
commemorate the twentieth anniversary” of the adoption of the
Durban Declaration. This is due to take place this September.
The United Nations World Conference against Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, or otherwise
commonly known as ‘Durban I’ met in Durban,
South Africa in 2001 and adopted the Durban Declaration.
Despite being a conference against racism, the event is
remembered by the international Jewish community as a hostile
showcase for open antisemitism. Jewish attendees at the
conference were subjected to intimidation from protesters and
antisemitic material, including the Protocols of the Elders of
Zion, were distributed within the conference venue. The
conference itself saw the revival of the ‘Zionism equals racism’
trope. The resulting ‘Durban Declaration’ singled out only Israel
for criticism.
Subsequent Durban conferences in 2009 and 2011 resulted in
similar antisemitic rhetoric on display. At Durban II in 2009 the
UK led a walkout of major nations in protest against a speech by
then Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and at Durban III in
2011 the UK boycotted the event.
JLC Co-Chief Executive Claudia Mendoza added:
“We’d like to thank the British Government for taking our
concerns seriously and withdrawing from this abuse of UN
processes. People need to be under no illusions, this conference
exists to deligitmise Israel and legitimise anti-Jewish
racism.”
Commenting on today’s announcement Karen Pollock, Chief Executive
of the Holocaust Educational Trust and Vice President of the JLC,
and attendee at 2001 conference said:
“This is welcome news. Tainted with Jew hatred, poisonous
rhetoric about Israel and Holocaust denial and minimisation, the
Durban process is no place to tackle racism. It is time for the
Durban conferences to be consigned to history.
The British Government has done the right thing once again by
taking a principled stance and refusing to attend.”
ENDS
Note to editors
Background on Durban IV
- In December 2020, the UN General Assembly voted in favour of
holding a “one-day high-level meeting of the General Assembly to
commemorate the twentieth anniversary” of the adoption of the
Durban Declaration and Programme of Action “on the theme
‘Reparations, racial justice and equality for people of African
descent’…”
- This event, known as ‘Durban IV’ is due to take place in
September 2021. It follows Durban III which was held in 2011 and
boycotted by the UK along with the USA, Israel, Canada, Germany,
France and eight other countries. Then Prime Minister,
, said previous conferences saw “open displays” of
“deplorable anti- Semitism. … That’s why the UK will play no
part in this conference”.
- The Jewish Leadership Council and Board of Deputies wrote
jointly to the Foreign Secretary in May 2021 calling on the
government to not participate in Durban IV. The letter said:
-
“This will be a signal that the Government takes a firm
stand against anti-Jewish racism”
Durban I
- The United Nations World Conference against Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance met in Durban,
South Africa from August 31 to September 8, 2001.
- Despite being a conference against racism, the event is
remembered by the international Jewish community as a hostile
showcase for open antisemitism. Jewish attendees at the
conference were subject to intimidation from protesters and
antisemitic material, including the Protocols of the Elders
of Zion, were distributed within the conference
venue. The conference itself saw the revival of the ‘Zionism
equals racism’ trope. The resulting ‘Durban Declaration’ singled
out only Israel for criticism.
- The USA withdrew from the conference on 3rd
September after failing in its attempts to halt the attacks on
Israel and Zionism. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, said:
-
“I know that you do not combat racism by conferences that
produce declarations containing hateful language, some of which
is a throwback to the days of "Zionism equals racism;" or
supports the idea that we have made too much of the Holocaust;
or suggests that apartheid exists in Israel; or that singles
out only one country in the world – Israel – for censure and
abuse.”
Durban II
- The 2009 Durban Review Conference, informally known as Durban
II, was also the scene of open antisemitism.
- Nine countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany
and Italy, refused to participate in Durban II in its entirety
due to the events of the original Durban conference.
- The UK did attend but was forced to walk out during the
keynote speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in which
he equated Zionism with racism and claimed Israel was founded on
the “pretext of Jewish suffering”.
Durban III
- In 2011, the UK joined other countries opposed to the Durban
legacy and stayed away from the 10th anniversary
conference held at the UN General Assembly – informally known as
Durban III. Prime Minister described the “open-displays” of antisemitism at
previous events as his reason.
Durban IV
- The Durban IV event due to take place later this is
comparable to the Durban III event and will mark the
20th anniversary of Durban I.
- It is the latest in this series of events based on a legacy
of open antisemitism. This one-day event is not a serious attempt
to defeat racism internationally but a commemoration of a
supposedly anti-racism conference which itself was antisemitic.
- The letter from the JLC and Board says:
-
“We recognise the difficulties here. On the one hand, we
want the UK to continue to champion anti-racism on the world
stage in appropriate forums as there is still much work to be
done to address inequality and prejudice in society. Yet, at
the same time, tackling antisemitism is a key component of this
and events that propagate antisemitism undermine the fight
against racism.”
- The USA, Australia and Canada have already announced they
will not attend Durban IV.
