United Nations officials announced Tuesday that several controversial items had been dropped from a draft preparing for the Durban II summit. Among the sections dropped were those accusing Israel of racism and labeling the Jewish country an occupying state.

A clause stating that Arabs in Gaza, Judea and Samaria are victims of racism is reportedly still in the draft.

Organizers also dropped criticism of discrimination against homosexuals from the meeting's agenda. Several Muslim nations had protested the inclusion of the issue of homosexuality in the conference, as had the Vatican.

Yet another controversial issue dropped was that of European restitution for abuses of Africans during the colonialist period. Critics said the resolutions regarding slavery discriminated against Europeans by singling them out as responsible the slave trade, while ignoring the part played by African and Arab nations.

The changes to the draft were made after several countries, including Canada, the United States, Australia and the European Union member nations, announced that they would not attend the conference unless the anti-Israel and anti-Zionist draft agenda was changed. In Japan, the respected Japan Times warned that the conference would "enshrine" vilification of Jews.

Several nations expressed concern that Durban II would go the way of its predecessor, the 2001 United Nations anti-racism conference in Durban, South Africa. In the Durban I conference Israel was singled out for criticism and participants passed a measure equating Zionism with racism.

The Durban II conference is scheduled to take place in Geneva, and will open on April 20.