Debacle At Durban

OC

BATTERING

children. "Hopefully, the pendulum
will swing back. I believe there will be
a sober reassessment. It will happen
when a group of nations come for-
ward and say, 'Enough of this crap.'"

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The Durban outcome could also
undermine black-Jewish relations.
Civil rights groups, many with dele-
gations at Durban, generally blasted
the U.S. pullout.
Wade Henderson, executive director
of the Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights (LCCR), said that "while anti-
Semitic sentiments expressed at the con-
ference are repugnant, some representa-
tives to the conference are working to re-
write the disputed language. The United
States' decision to withdraw forecloses its
ability to be part of the ongoing process
to improve the language."
He accused Washington of "squander-
ing" the opportunity offered by the con-
ference by "focusing solely" on the issue
of the offensive anti-Israel language.
He also condemned the anti-
Semitism that was evident at the
NGO meeting — although he added
that "Palestinians and other groups
have also been subjected to abusive
language" as well.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson blasted the
administration for "subverting" the
conference, and suggested to reporters
that the U.S. decision had less to do
with Israel and more to do with a
desire to avoid any discussion of U.S.
racism and the controversial question
of reparations for slavery.
Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of
the Foundation for Ethnic
Understanding, said Jewish groups
will have to walk some difficult lines
in addressing the result of Durban
with a bitterly disappointed black
community.
"We have to make it very clear to the
African-American community and its
leadership that we cannot compromise
the integrity, honor or dignity of the
state of Israel and the Jewish people,"
he said. "We have to clarify why we
have taken this position on Durban;
we will have to show how a conference
designed to prevent racism turned into
a conference promoting racism."
At the same time, he said, "we have
to reach out to the African-American
community." Jewish leaders, he said,
have to show more sensitivity on key
African-American issues, such as repa-
rations for slavery.

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