NEW YORK (Press Release)– To address the varied challenges posed by the planned September 2011 commemoration of the United Nations World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, known as “Durban III,” the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations has created a special national committee to be chaired by Robert Sugarman, chairman of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Evelyn Sommer, past president of the Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO). The announcement was made by Conference of Presidents Chairman Alan Solow and UN Committee Chairman Harold Tanner, following approval by the Conference members.
The UN event, to be held in New York during the high level meetings at the opening of the 66th UN General Assembly session is a commemoration of the discredited Durban I conference of 2001. That conference, held in Durban, South Africa, “began with lofty goals but deteriorated into vile, hate-filled diatribes against the U.S. and the West, Israel, Jews and others,” said Solow.
“This conference is not a new examination of racism, discrimination and xenophobia, but a celebration of the 2001 conference that itself turned into an outrageous display of hatred and intolerance. As such, this event is all the more offensive. We have begun to reach out to countries to follow the lead of Canada and Israel and declare that they will not participate in this event. The new committee will be charged with reviewing the current status of the Durban III plans and develop both immediate and long-term responses,” said Tanner.
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Preceding provided by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations