This statement was delivered today by Sam Cohen of the Jewish Leadership Council to the Durban Review Conference:

Mr Chairman, I am making this statement on behalf of the Jewish Leadership Council as a member of the Jewish Human Rights Coalition - UK.

Some have suggested that this conference has been dominated by a particular set of issues. We would like to highlight the positive contribution that international Jewish groups have made at this event despite those who would wish to see us excluded and despite those from 2001who tried and failed to silence our voice in the fight for human rights and tackling racism and discrimination worldwide.

We organised a side event attended by more than 200 diplomats and NGO delegates, at which a Muslim leader and the President of National Union of Students UK called for greater cooperation between communities in tackling racism. Jewish students working with Darfur Action highlighted the Darfur issue in a rally outside the Palais. The Swiss Jewish community hosted a historic Yom Hashoah ceremony outside the UN. Jewish political activism surrounding Durban Review Conference is proudly and historically rooted in the Jewish values of the likes of Rene Cassin and Raphael Lemkin.

Some people hoped that the Durban Review Conference would signify a new beginning after the original Durban debacle of 2001. At best the new declaration marks a holding point for decency. However, it also fails to include a number of significant issues, a tragic missed opportunity. There is no excuse for a conference on racism and discrimination to be silent on the issues of discrimination against the Roma and Sinti community, the Dalit or on the issue of sexual orientation. Moreover, we are struck by the hurt and pain caused to people of African descent who do not feel their issues have been properly addressed by this document.
The original Durban conference was the tipping point that unleashed a worldwide increase in antisemitism and normalised the global campaign of anti-Israel boycotts. No “review conference” could ever rectify that travesty. Whilst Durban 200I is characterised by the way that Governments subcontracted the hate to the NGO world, the Durban Review Conference will be remembered by many for the way that Governments allowed that same hate to be preached from the podium in the General plenary hall itself - as well as the significant reactions to it.