active campaign

A Festival of Hate: How To Defeat The Durban Strategy – A Primary Vector of 21st Century Antisemitism

Status: Ended

On Tuesday, August 3rd, at 12:00 PM EDT, the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) will bring together leading voices in the NGO and human rights spaces — including NGO Monitor, the International Legal Forum, and UK Lawyers for Israel — for an important discussion entitled, “A Festival of Hate: How to Defeat the Durban Strategy – A Primary Vector of 21st Century Antisemitism.”

This webinar — featuring remarks from the His Excellency Gilad Erdan, Israel’s UN Ambassador, and the Honorable Irwin Cotler, Canada’s Antisemitism Special Envoy and CAM Advisory Board Member — will examine the history of the antisemitic Durban Conference, how to defend against contemporary forms of antisemitism as outlined in the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, and the importance of those countries who have adopted IHRA’s definition to boycott and speak out against the UN’s commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Durban Conference, or Durban IV.

Although the infamous UN General Assembly Resolution 3379, which stated, “Zionism is racism,” was revoked in 1991, its effects are still felt today. The UN ignores true humanitarian crises happening in the Middle East and elsewhere, while continuing to disproportionately condemn and demonize the State of Israel.

The Durban conference in 2001 reinstated the libel of UNGA Resolution 3379 by perverting international human rights laws and practicing severe historical revisionism.

Durban perpetuates the delegitimization of Israel and foments contemporary forms of antisemitism under the guise of human rights while operating under the protective cover of the United Nations. The conference has also proved to be a breeding ground for antisemetic epithets where documents, including the notorious forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, were distributed.

In September, the UN General Assembly will bring together world leaders for a one-day meeting in New York to mark the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action.

This webinar will focus on the hypocrisy of the Durban conference in relation with UN principles, its perpetuation of historical antisemitism, and how it harms legitimate attempts to protect human rights.

Panelists will discuss the history of the Durban Strategy, and how the IHRA working definition of antisemitism informs how and when anti-Israel animus crosses the line into antisemitism.