More Countries Join US, Israel Boycott of UN Racism Conference. Democracy Now 4/20/09

[balantz]

Run time: 10:45 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FQ57MrlZKs   Posted on YouTube: April 20, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: April 20, 2009 By DU Member: balantz Views on DU: 982

 
Some transcript:


More Countries Join US, Israel Boycott of UN Racism Conference

A growing number of Western countries are joining the United States and Israel in boycotting the United Nations World Conference on Racism, which opened today in Geneva, Switzerland. Australia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and New Zealand all announced they would boycott the conference soon after the US announced its formal decision not to attend Saturday. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the opening session he was profoundly disappointed at the boycotts. We go to Geneva to get the latest.

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MARGARET PARSONS: Well, we are extremely disappointed by the boycott of these Western nations. While we’re disappointed, we are not surprised, because this is about accountability. These countries have not come to the table with clean hands. They have never really meant to participate and really be held accountable for the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action, a document they all signed onto in 2001, the exception of Israel and the United States. At least the United States and Israel are being consistent in their position. However, these other countries are quite hypocritical in their withdrawal. You know, many here feel that if these countries had come, they would have received a failing grade, because they have done little to nothing to implement the Program of Action.


The Durban Declaration and Program of Action is an excellent blueprint. There was nothing in that document that was racist, anti-Semitic. It was an expression of goodwill. It was an expression of encouragement in terms of the peace process in the Middle East. And it is an excellent document and a blueprint that countries should adopt in working to eradicate racism.

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INGRID JARADAT: Well, our first response has been the question whether these governments have actually read the original documents and the draft documents, because neither the original Durban Declaration and Program of Action nor current drafts include any inciting language against Israel. In the initial Durban documents of 2001, the only time Israel is mentioned it’s mentioned as a state entitled to security like all other states. So there is no—there has never been any sort of language that could be declared racist. And it makes you really wonder which documents people are referring to when they say they are antagonistic.


And so, I would appeal to everybody who has good faith to go back to the documents and read the papers. And especially since we are dealing with a Durban review conference, it would be good to read the papers. So, that would be reaction number one, and—because much of what is now being said by governments and in the media about the debates and about the documents has no factual basis.

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[Captain Hilts]

1. All the cool kids are walking out. nt

[prevere3]

2. The Most Racist Apartheid State On Earth And Its Feckless Quislings

This should be no surprise.

Why wouldn't the most Raw Racist Brutal Apartheid Regime On Earth - a "state" that makes The Old South Africa look like a paradise of diversity - boycott the UN Conference On Racism and demand all its craven, cowardly quislings do the same?

They have the US Congress, The US President, Canada, Western Europe and Australia in their pocket.

And all have stood conspicuously mute for 60 years in the face of an unparalleled and unremitting program of Colonialist Apartheid, Crimes against humanity and the flagrant trampling of every basic tenet of human rights in the book.

And they do all this while spying and pissing on the countries which empower them the most with unlimited amounts of taxpayer swag, military hardware and "reparations" loot handled over by the unprincipled criminals whom they finance to slither into power on their behalf.(See AIPAC)

It's the biggest scam and affront to civilization in human history.

Why should this be any different.

[Jim Sagle]

3. Enjoy your pizza.

[waiting for hope]

4. I wonder what Jimmy Carter's thoughts are on this -

Sad really - after stating that the Obama administration wants to reach out to our enemies - boycotting an U.N. Human Rights Council that they just declared to join isn't sending a very clear message on intent.