Arab nations have rejected the latest compromise formulation of a final Durban conference resolution. The European Union has not withdrawn its threat to walk out of the conference if an acceptable compromise is not found. At the heart of the efforts was a proposal by the South African delegation, which leaves out the phrase \"racist state\" in reference to Israel. It also adds that the Holocaust against the Jews must never be forgotten.
The central sentence of the South African proposal reads, \"We are concerned about the plight of the Palestinian nation that is under foreign conquest, and we call for a just and permanent peace in the region, in the framework of which all will be able to enjoy equal rights and basic civil rights…\" The proposal recognizes the Palestinians\' right to self-determination and an independent state. As reported, the Arabs rejected this wording.
The efforts to seek a compromise were further complicated when a gathering of nearly 5,000 independent non-governmental groups formally branded Israel a \"racist, apartheid state\" today. The gathering is U.N.-backed, but is officially separate from the main Durban conference.
The central sentence of the South African proposal reads, \"We are concerned about the plight of the Palestinian nation that is under foreign conquest, and we call for a just and permanent peace in the region, in the framework of which all will be able to enjoy equal rights and basic civil rights…\" The proposal recognizes the Palestinians\' right to self-determination and an independent state. As reported, the Arabs rejected this wording.
The efforts to seek a compromise were further complicated when a gathering of nearly 5,000 independent non-governmental groups formally branded Israel a \"racist, apartheid state\" today. The gathering is U.N.-backed, but is officially separate from the main Durban conference.