[DEBATE] : COSATU condemns US stance on the Durban II Conference

[Riaz K Tayob]

At least the US is open and frank. The EU is at the conference pushing 
for "holocuast exceptionalism" by insisting on a separate paragraph on 
condemning the holocaust. Africans had to struggle to include references 
to the slave trade, colonialism and other forms of geneocide. The 
holocaust is rightly condemned. But what is not is the EU stance of 
pushing for moral relativism that privileges the European persecution of 
the Jews and other groups. The globalisation of concern for the 
holocaust is welcome, but the same is not the same for universalism of 
the concern for genocide and colonialism which takes a separate 
paragraph - all lumped together. This moral relativism that privileges 
Zionist ideology and separates the Jews from other groups suffering 
discrimination has no principled basis and should be rejected.

Allegations of anti-semitism have effectively removed references in the 
text from Apartheid Israel: as if Jewish settlements are legal on 
occupied Palestinian territory and that there is no racial basis for the 
discrimination. Some Semites are more equal than others as far as Europe 
is concerned!

Salim Vally wrote:
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> COSATU condemns US stance on the Durban II Conference 
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> The Congress of South African Trade Unions is shocked at the news of the
> US administration's withdrawal from the important Durban 2 Conference
> against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related
> Intolerance, in Geneva, Switzerland, from 20-24 April, 2009.
>
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> This has happened despite very serious compromises being made to the
> original draft conference outcome text to accommodate the US and their
> demand to remove anything that refers to Israel's persecution of Arabs
> as racism. 
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> The text waffles around the profound issues of racism and avoids saying
> anything that may be seen to offend Israel, who occupy other people's
> land, subject them to racist and discriminatory practices and still
> demands to be called a democratic, civilised state.
>
>  
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> The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, welcomed this
> revised version, despite serious concerns by civil society that it has
> compromised victims of racism merely to please the US, Israel and their
> lackeys. 
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> The previous version of the text led the United States, Canada and Italy
> announcing they would be boycotting the conference. Other EU countries,
> Australia and New Zealand, also threatened to boycott. These countries
> have been subtle sympathisers of Israel and its apartheid policies in
> the Middle East, whereas the US openly supports Israel apartheid rule.
>
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> In the same way that in Durban 1, held in South Africa in 2001, Israel
> and the US held the whole world to ransom, we are being subjected to the
> same blackmail by those who have openly practiced or supported racism in
> different parts of the world, but still demand to be regarded as
> champions of the struggle against racism. 
>
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> The United States and Israel walked out of the Durban meeting before it
> ended, over a draft resolution that identified Zionism as a particular
> version of apartheid and therefore racist, while European and other
> countries stayed and ensured its final declaration dropped criticism of
> Israel. 
>
> Israel and American Jewish groups, led by the Republican Jewish
> Coalition, have urged the United States not to take part in the
> conference. They have called the process that took place in Durban
> 'flawed', and tried to ridicule and undermine the important decisions
> that were taken at that important conference. Now they have bullied
> President Obama to denounce the Conference and withdraw US participation
> in solidarity with Israel. 
>
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> According to a US official, "The first clause in the new document
> reaffirms the declaration of Durban 1, which calls Israel a racist
> state, and the change is 
> cosmetic only. The essence remains the same. This is a diplomatic ruse
> intended to blur matters and introduce criticism of Israel by the back
> door." 
>
>
> It is extremely disappointing that we still have our global institutions
> held hostage by those who refuse to acknowledge apartheid and seek to
> legitimise racist occupation of other people's lands. They use the
> charge of 'anti-Semitism' to silence those who oppose apartheid Israel's
> savage policies and to stifle global debate about racism.
>
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> Many governments and people are intimidated into perpetual silence by a
> powerful Zionist lobby all over the world, flushing out money and
> threatening all who dare stand up to Israel's arrogance and
> institutionalised racist rule in the occupied Palestinian territories.
>
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> We call on all trade unions, progressive organisations, faith-based
> organisations and NGOs, and all progressive governments to stand up and
> defend the integrity of the UN, particularly the coming Conference. The
> credibility of such institutions is at stake unless it addresses the
> real issues affecting humanity and victims of racism, occupation and
> injustice all over the world. 
>
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> This battle is not an isolated instance, but an integral part of the
> attempt to hijack the UN system for their own narrow interests, the
> struggle in transforming the UN Human Rights Commission into a Human
> Rights Council also reflected the depth of these powerful vested
> interests and their agendas.
>
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> Finally, COSATU is vindicated that whilst welcoming the election of the
> first Black President in the US, being Barack Obama, we warned that it
> would not lead to fundamental policy changes in the US, because the
> empire is bigger than personalities. However, good his intentions, he
> cannot change certain fundamentals of the imperialist policies. The
> recent case of his refusal to remove the embargo against Cuba and free
> the Cuban five, illustrates just that point. 
>
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>
> Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson)
>
> Congress of South African Trade Unions
>
> 1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets
>
> Braamfontein, 2017
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> P.O. Box 1019
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> Johannesburg, 2000
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> SOUTH AFRICA
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> Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24
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> Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940/ 086 603 9667
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> Cell: 0828217456
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> E-Mail: patrick at cosatu.org.za
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