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[Excerpt:]

"In the interim, the session moved to short statements from NGO officials which have semi-official status in this international body composed of governmental representatives. Many of the speakers attacked Canada, the first country to pull out of the Durban Review Conference in protest, as well as the US and Italy. Israel, surprisingly, was barely mentioned. When UN Watch was given the floor, a Palestinian doctor began to speak directly to the Libyan chairwoman – Najjat al-Hajjaji – that has run the meetings for almost two years. The noisy room became quiet – Dr. Ashraf Ahmed El-Hojouj began to tell the story of how he and five Bulgarian nurses were arrested as scapegoats for the deaths of children in a Bengazi hospital, and then tortured. Ms. Hajjaji banged down her gavel to silence this human rights defender, but he continued – three times – as the Libyans lost their composure. Having become accustomed to the role of accusing Israel, they were unprepared for this exposure. When Dr. El-Hojouj left the hall, the press and many other participants followed him – this became the main news story. A short while later, Anne Bayefsky from EyeontheUN.org began to speak. "The eyes of millions of victims of racism, xenophobia and intolerance are upon YOU, the representatives of states and the United Nations. And instead of hope you have given them despair. Instead of combating anti-Semitism you have handed them a reason for Jews to fear UN-driven hate mongering on a global scale." The Libyan chair apparently had tuned out and did not bring her gavel down – and the delegates as well as NGO officials in the room heard Bayefsky’s powerful condemnation of their hypocrisy. It was a sobering admonition."