Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

86 | SEPTEMBER 2 • 2021 

A Dubious Anniversary
O

n Sept. 22, 2021, the United Nations is 
holding a one-day conference in New 
York City to commemorate the 20th 
anniversary of its first “World Conference Against 
Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and 
Related Intolerance.
” The first conference, known 
as “Durban I,
” was held Aug. 31–Sept. 8, 2001, in 
Durban, South Africa. 
On the surface, a World Conference Against 
Racism would seem to be worthy 
of a celebration. The 219 sections 
of the Declaration published by 
Durban I delegates appear to 
exhaustively address all forms of 
racism and hate against any group 
of people, as well offer guidelines for 
states, businesses and many other 
civil groups to combat racism in 
their ranks. Clause 58 even states: “We recall that 
the Holocaust must never be forgotten.
” 
However, the Durban Conference is a prime 
example of the adage “looks can be deceiving.
” At 
Durban I, a slew of antisemitic and anti-Israel pro-
paganda was distributed and promoted, including 
copies of the long-discredited “Protocols of Zion.
” 
In short, the Conference devolved into a hate-fest. 
While fighting racism and xenophobia was the 
mission, antisemitism was promulgated and tol-
erated.
Prominent South African journalist Michael 
Belling commented on Durban I: “In many 
years of reporting on events in South Africa and 
Israel, this was the first time I actually felt scared, 
wearing a big identity tag with Jewish Chronicle
(London) in clear, big letters, particularly in a 
stadium with thousands of people chanting “Viva, 
Viva Palestina,
” as Fidel Castro addressed them in 
very anti-Israeli terms [“… the dreadful genocide 
perpetrated, at this very moment, against our 
Palestinian brothers”]. Jew-hatred was rife and 
antisemitic material freely available at many NGO 
stalls that were part of the Conference — before 
the government representatives gathered — that 
distributed apartheid and racist Israel declarations 
and more.
” 
The delegates at Durban I also attempted to 
include the infamous “Zionism is Racism” into 
the final Declaration, as well as labeling Israel an 

apartheid state. An early draft that included this 
language caused Israel and the U.S. to withdraw 
from the Conference. Although the effort ulti-
mately failed, this Big Lie is still promoted by the 
BDS movement and other similar groups.
Subsequent “Conferences Against Racism” 
were no better. In 2009, Iranian President 
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave a keynote speech 
attacking Zionism at Durban II.
To their credit, a few countries walked-out 
on him, but the irony of the notorious Iranian 
leader speaking about human rights and attack-
ing Zionism at a conference against racism was 
apparently lost upon most delegates. 
Durban III would prove to be no better than 
its predecessors. A JN editorial (Oct. 16, 2011) 
concluded: “The Durban process leg-
acy of hate, intolerance and 
double standards is worthy of 
denouncing — not celebrat-
ing.
” Indeed, for these reasons, 
the U.S., Israel and other 
democratic nations boycotted 
Durban II and III.
Durban IV will celebrate the 
flawed U.N. process of allegedly 
combating all forms of racism 
and prejudice. Anticipating 
another round of antisemitism, 
Israel, the U.S., Canada, Australia, 
France, Germany, the United 
Kingdom, Italy. Hungary, Austria, 
Netherlands and the Czech 
Republic are boycotting the con-
ference.
Reports and essays about the 
Durban Conferences are 
in the William Davidson 
Digital Archive of Jewish 
Detroit History. It is 
maddening reading, to 
say the least. 

Want to learn more? Go to 

the DJN Foundation archives, 

available for free at 

www.djnfoundation.org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

apartheid state. An early draft that included this 
language caused Israel and the U.S. to withdraw 

mately failed, this Big Lie is still promoted by the 

 editorial (Oct. 16, 2011) 

concluded: “The Durban process leg-

Durban IV will celebrate the 

flawed U.N. process of allegedly 
combating all forms of racism 

another round of antisemitism, 
Israel, the U.S., Canada, Australia, 

Kingdom, Italy. Hungary, Austria, 

Republic are boycotting the con-

Reports and essays about the 

