Breaking News: U.S. Pulls Out of Durban II - SWC Commends President Obama’s Decision

February 27, 2009

Breaking News: U.S. Pulls Out of Durban II - SWC Commends President Obama’s Decision

Calls For U.S.-Led ‘Human Rights Coalition of the Willing’ to Convene Parallel Human Rights Conference

The Simon Wiesenthal Center commends President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton for their decision not to attend the UN Durban II conference. Rabbis Marvin Hier and Abraham Cooper, SWC dean and founder and associate dean, received confirmation during a conference call between senior White House and State Department officials and leaders of major Jewish groups.

“It’s a clear signal to the international community that this Administration refuses to validate the hijacking of human rights by regimes led by Libya and Iran,” the Rabbis said.

“To further isolate the haters, we call on the Administration to forge a ‘human rights coalition of the willing’ led by the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and European Union in tandem with the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and convene a parallel conference on April 21st to openly grapple with racism and discrimination in all its manifestations,” Center officials added.

Wiesenthal Center officials served as spokesmen for Jewish participants at the 2001 Durban I ‘hate-fest’ that took place in Durban South Africa just days before 9/11.

SWC International Relations Director Dr. Shimon Samuels has also attended many Durban II prepcoms manipulated by Libya, Iran and other serial human rights abusers to single out Israel alone for criticism, nix any discussion of Islamist extremism and clear the way for Holocaust deniers to be heard.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).