Jewish groups and peers in the UK are calling on the government to boycott the upcoming Durban IV conference commemorating the 2001 South African anti-racism conference that descended into an anti-Israel and anti-Semitic hatefest.
The United States and Israel walked out of the 2001 Durban conference when it became clear that the event was nothing more than a venue for labelling Zionism as racist and attacking the Jewish State’s legitimacy.
In New York City in September, the UN will be holding the event to mark Durban’s 20th anniversary and the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action.
The United States, Canada and other countries boycotted Durban II and III in 2009 and 2011.
The United States, Canada and Australia have announced that they will not be attending Durban IV.
Baroness Deech and Lord Turnberg told the Jewish Chronicle that they called on the UK to unequivocally” condemn and boycott Durban IV, describing the original Durban conference “a hate-filled, anti-Semitic meeting.”
Jewish Leadership Council co-CEO Claudia Mendoza and Board of Deputies interim-CEO Michael Wegier also urged the UK in a statement not to attend.
"The reasons for the UK staying away from Durban III remain true 10 years on and we are seeking confirmation that the UK will not dignify this year’s commemoration with its attendance. This will be a signal that the Government takes a firm stand against anti-Jewish racism,” they wrote.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)