Yes...I am back blogging!

Almost two and ahalf year ago i started this blog as a student, whilst i was representing global Jewish students at the UN Conference against racism in Geneva, otherwise dubbed 'Durban Review Conference', slang 'Durban 2'.

It would seem that the UN have come back to Jew hating and have called a new one day conference for this month, to review the progress of the 'Durban Process' for combatting racism. As you will see from my posts two years ago, this is a farce.

The conference and the Durban Process is convened under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council. Over the past three years - Iran, Libya and others have held seats at the top table of this council. The Human Rights Council has turned the good objectives of combating racism and enforcing human rights into a joke.

As well as the recurrence of this conference, the Palestinian Authority will be asking the UN General Assembly to recognise Palestine as an independent nation and to have a full seat within the UN General Assembley.

I will be live blogging, with guest bloggers throughout both of these events and in the run up to the conference. So stay tuned.

Best, A

My Final Report: Durban II the Overview

Durban II overall review

I arrived in Geneva on Sunday lunchtime, I knew very little about what my purpose was at the conference or even what the conference would be about, apart from being told about the disgusting behaviour of many NGO’s at the 2001 Conference against Racism.

When we arrived we met up with our fellow delegates from across the world, many students from Britain, Holland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Spain, Australia, South Africa, Israel, Canada and only a few surprisingly from the USA. We had several sessions with key political figures explaining to us the structure of the conference, the outcome document and ultimately what we were in Geneva to do.

In 2001 the conference in Durban became known as the ‘hatefest’, outside the UN and within it NGO’s and activists were shouting antisemetic slogans, accusing the Jews of some almighty conspriracy and intimidating anyone Jewish at the conference. I would like to point out that I have always been one of these people who is wary of the equation that anti-zionism is anti-semitism, i have generally always rejected that idea and I will continue to reject it as a student in Leeds, however the people who were campaigning on behalf of the Palestinians in 2001 were not using language that could created a blur between anti-zionism and anti-semitism, these people were using out and out anti-semetic language.

So clearly, we were expecting much of the same in Geneva, we were pleasantly surprised, we were not greeted by placards accusing us of wild conspiracies, we arrived and the city seemed a little dull. On Monday morning we started, the conference kicked off and we were listening and observing the conference with great interest, and I might add with great anxiety. Of course we were all waiting for the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s address to the UN and waiting to see how the remaining western European countries dealt with this tyrant. I wish I could write that I did not expect to hear those words come out of Ahmadinejad’s mouth, however the entire UN knew exactly what was coming, even after being told to tone down his words by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, he still managed to come out with some vile notions, he accused the Zionist of starting the war in Iraq, questioned the holocaust, and numerous times accused the Zionists of taking advantage of the so called holocaust.

This conference was a farce to begin with. As a Jewish student attending the conference, it was rife with antisemitism, I was personally accused by a member of another NGO of having an intrinsic born desire to control the world, was subsequently blamed for the slave trade and accused of wanting to murder the Palestinians, she later told me that every single non-Jew in the world hates the Jews and more specifically that 56% of the conference hated the Jews, so clearly the remaining 44% must have been Jewish....
On the friday a Canadian NGO stood up and denied that Antisemitism even existed and accused Israel and the 'Zionist Lobby' of creating the myth of antisemitism to fuel the zionist expansion, they later declared to the main plenary that 9/11 did not happen and it is a conspiracy, I will let you try to guess who they blamed.

Israel has its flaws, it has racists, as does every country, however there is no way that it can be labelled racist, Gaza cannot be described as a genocide and this is all propaganda fuelled by Iran (Who sent a small number of NGO's to spread a message of hate). And just to add, I have been criticised in the last few days for not mentioning the Palestinians in my articles, the Palestinians are suffering, suffering greatly from poor leadership both in Israel and within the occupied territories, however this conference was never meant to be about Israel/Palestine, it was meant to be about human rights, I am focusing on Israel in my articles because at this conference criticism of Israel jumped to a new level I have never witnessed before, all of my perhaps more innocent left leaning principles were smashed by peoples and NGO’s blatant anti-semitism that I witnessed be excused because they mention the word Zionist at various points in a sentence as well as the word Jew.

Language is everything, the language that people use today about Israel has origins from the 2001 conference, the 2001 conference as stated in the numerous times has been discredited as a 'hatefest', this hatefest produced language that is deeply offensive to Jews.
Just because this sort of offensive language is used in the United Nations, a supposedly respectable international body, it does not mean it is right. The language used by NGO's, Iran, Sudan and ultimately the Iranian president are still vile and beyond comprehension. As a Jewish student in Leeds, I am subjected to this language about Israel on a daily basis, the people who use this language I do not deem to be anti-semetic, however the origins of the language, being the Durban 1 conference is most definitely rooted in pure out and out anti-semitism.
The NGO's present at this conference were not the SWP, Respect or other vocal anti-Israel campaigners on campus, they were disgusting and despicable organisations whose only concern are to be racist and to abuse the platform given to them by our almighty United Nations. Somehow the supposed self proclaimed bastions of anti-racism being the SWP, Respect and other far left political groups have adopted this language and declared it as acceptable when criticising Israel, I would advise any vocal critic of Israel to look deeply at where their language originates from, my suspicion is that terms like apartheid, concentration camp in Gaza and other terms have their origins from some of the NGO's that attended the 2001 conference. Let me make it perfectly clear, many, if not most of the NGO's I encountered had some link to extremism, terrorism or the Iranian government. The respected ones like Amnesty were not visible at this conference...I wonder why.

This was the first time I had ever visited Geneva or the United Nations, I also suspect this will be the last as what I experienced I truly struggle to put into words.
Jewish students were victimised by the UN itself for exposing the joke that the conference was, there were two separately accredited Jewish student organisations, the French Union of Jewish students were responsible for the protest with Clown wigs and red noses during the Iranian president's speech, my organisation I was accredited with, the European Union of Jewish Students had nothing what so ever to do with this protest, however the UN subsequently attempted to ban all Jewish students from entering the United Nations complex in Geneva on numerous occasions. The UN held several press conference's specifically about 'Jewish students disrupting' the conference, this was purely a way to deflect attention away from the circus that the conference became.

We have all heard about the major western powers boycotting the event, however what you have not heard about is the real embarrassment to the UN. Organisations like Amnesty International and the International Red Cross chose not to attend in force with large delegations, they were embarrassed to publically be part of such a farce, this is what struck me most, a vocal critic of Israel choosing not to attend an Anti-Racism conference aimed at promoting Human rights, why did they not come? Pure embarrassment at being part of such an event. (Just to point out the International headquarters of the Red Cross is across the road from the UN complex and no high level Red Cross delegates were visibly present.)

Lastly, on Friday several NGO's which are hard line to say the least, and almost definitely sponsored in some manner by the Iranian government were due to hold side fringe meetings for NGO delegates, for an unknown reason I understand that the UN revoked all press passes to NGO meetings that day, they refused to give journalists a reason why. The UN was clearly embarrassed by the content of what was being aired within their own four walls, they have been giving a platform all week to racists, bigots and terrorist supporting organisations.

Ultimately the loser at this conference was Human Rights, I proudly attended a 200 strong rally for Darfur outside the Palais DeNations, we had hundreds of cars, including diplomatic cars honking their horns in support of our cause, however the United Nations is simply a talk shop where real human rights issues are ignored and great nations like Britain pay lip service to some of the worst human rights abusers in the world, like China,

Darfur was ignored.

What happened to the profound saying...
NEVER AGAIN

Disgrace!

So today is my last day here at the Durban Review Conference. L'Hebdo (Swiss Newspaper) have described our work here at this conference 'the revenge of the Jewish people' for the disgrace of the Durban 1 Conference in 2001.
This conference is not a victory, this conference is a disgrace. Growing up and being a politics student i have always had a rosy view of the UN, the peace keepers of the world, the people who care for everyone in the world. What i have witnessed is quite the opposite. I have witnessed the UN host and give a platform to a Clown, i have witnessed a small number of states actually condemning what he said, i have witnessed Iran be allowed the last speech of the day yesterday so that they could officially respond to the European countries walking out of the Plenary room as a statement that we will not allow Iran, and what a surprise... Iran used this opportunity to criticize Israel.
The UN have been releasing statements condemning the Jewish student groups, an example is this one from Rupert Colville.

"Two particular NGOs (non-governmental organizations)" have been disruptive, said Colville, noting the Union of Jewish Student in France and the European Union of Jewish Students.

The United Nations would prefer to give a platform to a holocaust denying, homophobic, sexist, and ultimately racist man rather than Jewish students whose most 'violent' protest at the conference has been wearing a clown wig and throwing a red nose at the Iranian president. I applaud the French Union of Jewih Student for doing this, i must admit that the EUJS were not part of this protest. As i speak right now the UN are holding a press conference on the actions of the Jewish students, it is a disgrace. Keep following, another update coming in afew hours.

CALL ON THE UK GOVERNMENT TO WITHDRAW

The controversy over Ahmadnejad speaking at the UN Durban Review Conference is now all over the news worldwide. The protest from the conference floor of several delegations walking out was nothing short of admirable and a true reflection of what the conference should be representative of.The speech that the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave yesterday was appalling. It crossed all of the UK red lines as well as many other countries, and we are proud that the UK delegation were among the first to walk out as he began to speak. As the day and the evening progressed, other countries began to pull out of the conference altogether as further protest of the farce that has become the Durban Review Conference.We now have a responsibility to hold our British delegation accountable for continuing their participation in a conference that is clearly here not to stand up against racism and intolerance worldwide, but bear witness to it happening on its own doorstep and do nothing. Furthermore they continue to be part of a conference with a chairperson and many other delegations that remained silent during the tirade of a racist.We call as students in Geneva witnessing this injustice and the disgrace that the conference has descended in to for the British government to withdraw their delegation from the Durban Review Conference.

Foreign Minister for Norway responds to Iran

Foreign minister for Norway responds to Iran

By Dani Orelowitz, University of Nottingham
Foreign Minister of Norway
- Freedom of speech is an integral part of human rights. However there is a need to protect against incitement to hatred and the promotion of intolerances.

- We are not here to fingerpoint or to list conflicts..- We have to protect people against racism, discrimination and incitement to hate.

- The speech of the Iranian president runs counter to the spirit and dignity of this conference.

- He made Iran the odd man out and Norway won't accept this conference to be hijacked by the odd man out.

- There is an agreed text that is within the red lines as defined by Norway. A few months ago it included conflicting messages. Norway did not accept a text that was hijacked and refuses to have a text which recreated history: The Holocaust wasa man-made disaster.

- "We will not surrender the floor of the United Nations to extremism."

Basic Points of President Ahmadinejad's Speech

By Judith Flack, University of Sussex

- "Over the last centuries, humanity has gone through tremendous sufferings and pains...

- The UN Security Council is one of the legacies of world war two and world war one. What was the logic behind them granting themselves the veto rights?...

- The council is the highest decision making world body for safe guarding international peace and security. How can we expect the realization of peace and justice when discrimination is legalized by force, coercion and arrogance, rather than justice?...

- Today many proponents of racism condemn racial discrimination in their slogans. A number of countries have been authorized to decide for other nations based on their own interest and on their discretions. They can ridicule humanitarian values...

- An entire nation was made homeless under pretext of Jewish suffering and established a racist government. The most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine...

- The Security Council support given for past sixty years has given free reign to the racist perpetrators of genocide whilst the free minded people of the world condemn oppression and bombardment of the people of Gaza...

- Almost 1 million people were killed during the creation of Israel...


- Today the West is injecting hundreds of billions of cash from the pockets of their own people into the failing banks companies and financial institutions making the situation more and more complicated for their economy and their people. They are simply thinking about maintaining power and wealth. They couldn’t care any less about the people of the world and their own people...


- The Media render support to the Zionist regime… Efforts must be made to put an end to the abuse by Zionists and their supporters of political and international means. Governments must be encouraged and supported in their plights to eradicate this barbarical racism and to move towards reform in the current international mechanisms..


- Zionist conspiracy: There have been literature and statements in support of Zionists and their crimes and it is the responsibility of honorable representatives of nations to disclose these campaigns…



- This session is a true indication of supporting the blatant example of racism. In defending human rights it is primarily important to defend the rights of all nations to participate equally in all decision making processes without the influence of certain powers. Therefore this conference is a testing ground and the world public opinion today and tomorrow will judge our decisions and our actions...



- The world is going through fundamental changes. Cracks in the pillars of world oppression can now be removed. Major economical structures are at the brink of collapse. Political and security crisis are on the rise. The need to change this wrong direction to which the world is being managed today. And I have also warned of the dire consequences of any delay of this crucial responsibility. Now in this valuable event would like to announce here to all leaders, thinkers, and to all nations of the world, present in this meeting and those who have a hunger for peace, economic wellbeing that the unjust management is now at the end of the road. The imposed management was oppressive..."

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has just arrived

I just witnessed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrive at the UN Conference against racism, i even came within 10 ft of the man. He is due to give the main address of the afternoon, this man, a man who advocates holocaust denial, a man who has vowed the destruction of the state of Israel, a man who claims that Iran has no homosexuals, this man is giving the main address at a UN conference for Human Rights and against racism this afternoon.

At my university in Leeds, we have a diverse bunch of people, however the UN is a far more diverse institution, an institution that prides itself on being the global protector of human rights. At Leeds met, i am proud to say we would not allow such a man to speak, we would give all students in Leeds the respect and dignity to not have to attend a university that devalues the basic human rights and breeds hatred.

Many countries and NGO's have already vowed to walk out during his address in recognition of his abhorrent views, however i would urge anyone and everyone at this conference to avoid listening and giving a platform to this biggot.

This is probably not enough, this conference does not need more european states to pull out, as the conference is already a de-ligitimised body for giving such a platform to this man.

Keep watching for the next update at 4pm GMT