Don’t reconsider Durban
Reps. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) are asking Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to "reaffirm" the Obama administration's "pledge not to attend the hate-filled Durban conference."
In a letter to Clinton, the duo says the "latest conference working group draft statement is still fundamentally unacceptable," and that if it were to accept that draft, it would "undermine its own fight against anti-Semitism."
The members of Congress say they are reacting to "recent reports" that the administration may participate in next week's conference in Geneva, apparently referring to an article in Ha'aretz Monday which cited anonymous sources stating that the U.S. was "leaning in favor" of participating in the event. The administration never completely ruled out going to Durban but had set down a number of conditions for participation, including that the conference statement not reaffirm the statement from the Durban I conference -- something that the conference's revised statement still does.
The full letter can be read here.
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luke weyland
05/11/09 06:54 AM
Alas, just about every nation on this planet to a greater or lesser degree is in breach of human rights. I understand Iceland and Eire are among the exceptions.
My own Australia, for example, has discriminatory laws in regards to refugees, and Aborigines.
Every nation should fight racism in all its ugly forms. To do this we must recognise reality.
Israel recently banned Arab political parties. It would welcome me as a prospective citizen as I have Jewish background - yet refuses to allow Arab people born in Palestine/Israel the right to return.
Surely this is racism - No?
If you attack my country’s policies - don’t necessarily hate Aussies. Those who criticise current racist Israel’s policies are neither Anti-Semites nor Israel haters.