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[Excerpt:]

“The original UN World Conference Against Racism, held in Durban, South Africa in 2001, was prepared in Teheran under the radar of the governments of the United States and Israel, and when it suddenly turned into a virulent propaganda event, there was little that could be done. The declaration of the government session was toned down, but still singled out Israel and all but ignored the real issues of racial discrimination around the world. In parallel, the NGO Forum did the heavy lifting of demonizing Israel, using terms like “apartheid” and “war crimes,” and adopting a strategy of boycotts and isolation. In contrast, for this Review Conference, every move has been examined under the spotlight of public debate, and the efforts led by Iran and Libya to repeat and expand on their successes in 2001 were quickly exposed. Instead of waiting for the last minute, first Canada, and then Israel, the United States and Italy announced that they would not participate in a similar betrayal of the moral foundations of human rights. Other European officials have made similar-sounding statements, while waiting to see if the text and surrounding events could be made palatable.” “Indeed, there are real victims of discrimination, even in the heart of Europe, but the anti-Israel obsession, to which even “respected” NGOs like Amnesty and Human Rights Watch contribute, has all but erased these moral issues. Pillay’s plea also came far too late. She, like her predecessor Mary Robinson in 2001, was guilty of silence as the racists – led by Libya and Iran – were allowed to dominate the anti-racism agenda.”