US TO BOYCOTT WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM

The U.S. announced that it will boycott the United Nations’ World Conference Against Racism, known as Durban III, to be held in New York in September. The reason given for the boycott is that the original Durban Conference of 2001, had an anti-Semitic overtone and should not be commemorated. Additional reasons were that the conference was expected to be an Israel bashing-session. Israel and Canada similarly announced that they will boycott the conference. The Simon Wiesenthal Centre and the ADL expressed pleasure at the announcement of the U.S. boycott. “We are gratified at President Obama’s decision to boycott the so-called Durban III,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre. The U.S. announcement “is the clearest indication that this gathering will be just as bad for Israel – and for those truly dedicated to the fight against racism – as were the previous two international conferences in 2001 and 2009. To acknowledge the current reality is a sad day for the UN and the struggle against racism,” said American Jewish Committee Executive Director David Harris in a classic example of Orwellian Doublespeak.