לא הלעלות

Alan P. Solow
Chairman
Contact: Malcolm Hoenlein
212-318-6111
Malcolm Hoenlein
Executive Vice Chairman

ועידת הנשיאים מצדיעה לממשל ארה"ב על ההחלטה שלא להשתתף בוועידת דרבן II

קוראת גם לאירופה ללכת בעקבות ארה"ב ולהחרים את הוועידה

יו"ר ועידת הנשיאים אלן סולואו וסגן היו"ר והמנכ"ל מלקולם הונליין: "קיימנו שיחות רבות עם ממשל אובאמה בנושא, והבנו כי כבר בביקורה המקדים של המשלחת האמריקאית בז'נבה התבהר להיכן חותרת ועידת דרבן הנוכחית, וכן הצורך של ארה"ב לנקוט עמדה. תקוותנו היא כי מדינות אירופה ילכו בדרכה של ארה"ב ולא ישתתפו אף הן. בהיעדרן של מדינות דמוקרטיות חשובות אלה מהוועידה, בכוחן להעביר מסר לאלו המנסים לנצל את הוועידה להעברת מסרים פוליטיים. אנו כמובן תומכים בדיונים אמיתיים בנושאי גזענות, אפליה ושנאת זרים - אך האחריות לכשלון הוועידה הינה של אלה אשר מנסים לקדם בדרך זו את האינטרסים הפוליטיים הצרים שלהם."

סולואו והונליין הוסיפו: "ועידת הנשיאים פנתה אל בכירים בממשל האמריקאי והבהירה כי הקווים האדומים שארה"ב והאיחוד האירופי הציבו לוועידה כולם כאחד נפרצו כבר במפגשים המקדימים. בימים אלה, של אנטישמיות גואה, אסור לתת לוועידת דרבן II להוסיף אש למדורה, כפי שנעשה ב-2001."

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CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS LAUDS DECISION BY U.S. ADMINISTRATION NOT TO ATTEND DURBAN II CONFERENCE

CALLS ON EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO JOIN THE UNITED STATES

New York, February 27, 2009…Alan Solow, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman, of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations lauded the decision of the Obama Administration not to participate in the Durban Review Conference (Durban II), scheduled to take place in Geneva in April 2009.

“We greatly appreciate the decision of the Obama Administration not to participate in the Durban Review Conference. It was clear from the preparatory meetings that this conference was again being hijacked by those who want to have a repetition of the first Durban conference, which focused almost singularly on Israel and was the occasion for vile and bigoted declarations and manifestations. The United States and other countries walked out in protest. Regrettably, the direction of the Durban Review Conference was very clear and Israel was being made the sole focus again and there were attempts to limit freedom of speech under the guise of “defamation of religion,” said Solow and Hoenlein.

“We had extensive discussions with the Obama Administration, particularly over the last days, and it became clear that the assessment of the US delegation that attended the February preparatory meetings in Geneva recognized where the conference was headed and the need for the United States to take a stand at this time. It is our hope that the European countries will follow suit and announce that they will not participate. The absence of these important democratic countries sends a clear message to those who seek to politicize the conference and turn it into a propaganda platform. We all support a conference that truly addresses racism, bigotry and xenophobia. The onus for the failure of the Durban Review Conference rests with those who have sought to use it to advance their narrow propaganda purposes.”

“We appreciate that President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and UN Ambassador Rice have, after a serious process of evaluation, acted expeditiously in reaching this decision,” said Solow and Hoenlein. “Time was of the essence to allow others to reach similar decisions.”

“The Conference of Presidents had written US officials that the “red lines” established by the US and the European Union regarding the criteria for participation have all been violated and that submissions from all the preparatory committee sessions has made clear that it is not salvageable. At a time when anti-Semitism is rising, the Durban II conference must not be allowed to add fuel to the fire, as it did in 2001. The blueprint for much of what we have witnessed in recent years was put forward at the Durban conference, including the attempts to delegitimize and demonize Israel,” they added.

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The Conference of Presidents is the central coordinating body representing 51 national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern.