Israel has succeeded in encouraging a number of democratic nations to boycott the Durban II conference in Geneva. However, many individuals as well as nations have decided to attend the conference despite Israel's calls for a boycott. Among them are representatives of Israel itself – two Arab Israeli MKs from the Balad party.
While Israel has warned that the conference unfairly singles out Israel and Zionism for criticism, MKs from Balad and other Arab parties have expressed their enthusiastic support for the meeting. MKs Jamal Zahalka of Balad and Ahmed Tibi of the United Arab List (Ra'am Ta'al) have accused Israel of avoiding the meeting due to “shame” and “fear.”
Zahalka and fellow Balad MK Said Nafa attended the conference in person. Prior to the conference, the two attended the pre-summit NGO Civil Society Forum March, where Zahalka accused Israel of “racist apartheid.”
Tibi did not attend the conference, but supported the Balad MKs from afar by repeating their accusations against mainstream Israeli society. Israel is becoming increasingly racist, Tibi told journalists shortly before the conference began. He accused Israel of falsely claiming that the conference is anti-Semitic in order to avoid participating.
Zahalka, who identified himself as a “Palestinian resident of Israel,” said the success of the Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) party in the recent national elections proves that Israel is racist on a national level. Yisrael Beiteinu has called for all residents of Israel to be required to demonstrate loyalty to the state.