Free Republic

Nations convinced to shun Durban Conference under Israeli diplomatic pressure, spearheaded by Lapid; FM says move demonstrates Israel's political power on the world stage Thirty-one nations have so far decided to boycott a UN meeting marking the 20th anniversary of the Durban World Conference on Racism later this week due to the event's anti-Semitic nature in the past, marking a major diplomatic win for Israel. The first conference was held in Durban, South Africa from August 31 through September 8, 2001, and covered several controversial issues, including redress for transatlantic slavery and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

There’s a reason Canada is always disproportionately attacked at the United Nations’ annual gabfests on global warming — the latest version now underway in Durban, South Africa. It’s that most of the 190 countries which attend, along with the global environmental movement, don’t want to call out the U.S. and China, the two key players on which any post-Kyoto agreement to lower global greenhouse gas emissions depends. China and the U.S. are the respective leaders of the developing and developed worlds, they are responsible for a combined 40% of global emissions, they are the world’s number one and number two...

Since racial hatred has animated some of the worst atrocities in history, one would think that an opportunity for nations to come together and seek solutions to racial tensions would be welcomed. Think again. The upcoming United Nations Durban Review Conference in Durban, South Africa—billed as an international effort to achieve racial reconciliation—is likely to make a mockery of any bona fide attempt to overcome racial discrimination. The Conference, scheduled for 2009, will review the international progress made in response to the "Durban Declaration and Programme of Action "released by the first Durban conference in 2001.  This earlier conference was...