Interesting Take on Durban II: Obama's Choice

by Charles Lenchner · 2009-03-01 19:10:00 UTC
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We've written before about the upcoming sequel to the ill-reputed anti-racism conference held in 2001 at Durban under UN auspices. The basic opposition is between two powerful forces. In one corner, we have human rights and civil society groups looking forward to advancing the stated goals of the conference - moving forward with a global consensus against racism and for human rights. In the other, Israel, her supporters, and especially the United States, who see Durban I as an antisemitic hate-fest, and that's all.

What to do when you have the first African American president, with an obvious interest in the global fight against racism, but carrying the political necessity of carrying Israel's water internationally?

According to Anne Bayefsky of Forbes.com you engage in double talk, promising different things to each side and hope nobody notices.

On one phone line with Assistant Secretary of State Karen Stewart were Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, the American Civil Liberties Union, the U.N. Foundation, the UNA-USA Association and the Arab American Institute, among others. On the other line with National Security Council member Samantha Power were Jewish organizations. The dangerous message was that an Arab advocacy group does human rights, while Jewish organizations do Jews.

Note that this is obviously a right wing, anti-Obama administration critique. But that doesn't mean it's totally wrong. There really is a dillema:

Whether Obama actually stays away from Durban II is most likely to depend on his cost-benefit analysis of sacrificing Israel vs. heeding the siren's call to engage.

It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

Charles Lenchner
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