WASHINGTON (JTA) — Jewish groups called on the United Nations General Assembly not to mark the 10th anniversary of the Durban conference on racism.
The Dec. 20 vote would set the stage for a conference marking the decennial in September in New York.
The original conference was to have addressed institutional racism, but devolved into an anti-Israel and anti-Jewish hate-fest.
"Celebrating Durban I will further undermine the standing of the United Nations and compromises its principles," said a statement from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. "Suggesting that a Durban III conference be held during the high-level opening of the U.N. General Assembly in 2011 to elevate its status makes it all the more imperative that this proposal be defeated now in the General Assembly."
B’nai B’rith International, which maintains a U.N. presence, also urged nations to vote against.
“The Durban legacy is one of hate and discrimination, and should be remembered as such," it said in a statement.
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