Posted on 03/05/2009 4:24:33 PM PST by Mike Fieschko
Antisemitic phrases in draft document 'totally unacceptable'
(ANSA) - Brussels, March 5 - Italy has decided to withdraw from an upcoming United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Thursday.
Frattini said ''aggressive phrases of an antisemitic nature'' in a draft declaration were behind the decision to withdraw from the conference, known as the Durban Review Conference, which is a follow-up to the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.
The minister said the phrases in the draft declaration were ''totally unacceptable'' and stressed that they would have to be removed before Italy considered participating in the summit.
Israel, Canada and the United States have also pulled out of the conference, which is due to take place in Geneva on April 20-24.
Critics say both the original 2001 conference in Durban and preparatory meetings for the 2009 meeting undermined UN principles because of open anti-Israel sentiment.
Both the World Jewish Congress (WJC) and the European Jewish Congress renewed calls for countries to boycott the conference earlier this week.
WJC President Ronald Lauder said in a statement that the conference ''was not about combating racism, but about promoting anti-Israel and anti-Semitic propaganda within the framework of the United Nations''.
He said that ''no good'' could result from a conference where countries ''such as Libya, Iran, Pakistan and Syria are dictating the agenda'', claiming they were ''attempting to protect their extremist ideologies under the disguise of banning the 'defamation of religion' while at the same time refusing to condemn Holocaust denial''.
The United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands are also considering withdrawing from the meeting.
Ping
Forza Italia!
When Italy, of all places, shows more backbone and moral fiber than the rest of the world, especially the EU, we have come to end times, indeed.
Good for you, Italy. You have gone up quite a few notches in my opinion of you!
Durban II is a large group of anti semitic nations that will suffer the wrath of God for their unjustifiable hatred of Israel. Little neo nazi punk nations all of them and God himself curses all of them for hating His chosen people for no reason at all.
Screw the U.N. and all haters of Jews and Christians.
Buon lavoro Italia!
I never thought I’d see the day when Italy had more testicular fortitude than the U.S.! Way to go Italy!
I still can’t figure out why God put all that oil under the peninsuala where Islam grew.
Italy is getting to be my favorite European country, along with Poland.
In Heaven
Italy makes the cars
The British are the cops
The Germans run the trains
and
The French are the cooks
In Hell
The British are the cooks
The Germans are the cops
The Italians run the trains
and
The French make the cars.
If you'd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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Looks like Italy might have found some of it’s Roman backbone.
We can only hope the rest of the EU follows suit...
tagline ...
Amen, amen and right on!
Don’t forget the Czech Republic. They are in there too.
Well done Italy, finaly showing balls!
Yes, they are.
I thought of them right after I posted.
The Danes are up there too.
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