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[Excerpt:]

"Ottawa came under attack for its position on Durban II from a variety of non-governmental organizations, such as Amnesty International, that claim to speak on behalf of oppressed minorities and victims of discrimination. Ken Roth, the head of the powerful Human Rights Watch (HRW), came to Ottawa recently and in media interviews, he arrogantly rebuked the government for its principled position. HRW was also guilty of involvement in the 2001 Durban conference, but it learned no lessons. In a statement issued the day after Ahmadinejad’s appearance – which took place on Holocaust Memorial Day – HRW again condemned the countries that refused to give this absurd conference the legitimacy of their participation, but HRW didn’t even mention Ahmadinejad speech. The Canadian policy of not providing funds for NGOs to participate in the 2009 conference also marked an important and principled departure. In 2001 at Durban, thousands of NGO members, ostensibly sent to contribute to action plans against racism, turned into racists themselves, carrying signs and chanting that “Zionism is racism.” In addition to the decision by Canada regarding NGO funding, the powerful Ford Foundation adopted the same policy, and the presence of radical NGOs in the streets of Geneva during the review conference was greatly reduced. These activities were primarily led by groups such as North South 21, which is linked to the Libyan government and has little credibility. In contrast, having learned the lessons from 2001, this time, Jewish pro-Israel and pro-human rights activists came in large numbers and made sure that Ahmadinejad was not made to feel welcome when he came and left the building. In addition, speeches by Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, Canadian Liberal MP Irwin Cotler and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, as well as a very moving Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony opposite the UN building in Geneva, served to offset the bitterness of events inside. While one success doesn’t mean that the entire mechanism of anti-Israel boycotts, lawsuits and NGO campaigns under the façade of fighting racism has been defeated, this is an important precedent. It’s now possible to at least visualize and work toward a new beginning for these moral principles, which would help the real victims of racism – in Darfur, Rwanda, and many other places. Canada has marked the path, and for this, we are all grateful."