Findings

Congress finds as follows: (1)The 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (Durban I Conference) was held in Durban, South Africa. (2)The Durban I Conference was used as a platform to advance anti-Semitism and, consequently, the United States and Israeli delegates walked out. (3)Former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell gave the following statement after the Durban I Conference: I know that you do not combat racism by conferences that produce declarations containing hateful language, some of which is a throwback to the days of Zionism equals racism; or support the idea that we have made too much of the Holocaust; or suggest that apartheid exists in Israel; or that single out only one country in the world—Israel—for censure and abuse.. (4)The 2009 United Nations Durban Review Conference (Durban II Conference) will be held between April 20 and 24, 2009, in Geneva, Switzerland. (5)On December 22, 2007, the United States and 45 other United Nations member states voted not to support the Durban I Conference. (6)Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen announced on December 16, 2008, that the Netherlands was considering not participating in the Durban II Conference because it seems like the sole intention is to criticize Israel and condemn the West for slavery and its colonial history.. (7)Canada’s Multiculturalism Secretary of State, Jason Kennedy, announced on January 23, 2008, that Canada will not participate in the Durban II Conference because Canada is interested in combating racism, not promoting it … And Canada has no intention of lending its good name and resources to such a systematic promotion of hatred and bigotry.. (8)The United Kingdom’s Europe Minister stated: We will play no part in an international conference that exhibits the degree of anti-Semitism that was disgracefully on view on the previous occasion.. (9)The United States Congress unanimously passed House Resolution 136 on September 23, 2008, which outlines five requirements for United States participation in the Durban II Conference: (A)No reaffirmation of Durban Declaration and Plan of Action (Durban I) language singling out Israel for criticism. (B)No language focusing on any single country or conflict. (C)The text must focus on fighting racism and not any political issues. (D)The text must be cleansed of language restricting accepted human rights such as free speech. (E)Language on reparations should not be restricted to formulation in the Durban Declaration and Plan of Action. (10)Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni announced on November 19, 2008, that Israel will neither participate in nor legitimize the Durban II Conference. (11)United States Acting State Department Spokesman Robert Wood announced on February 14, 2009: The State Department will send a delegation to the February 16–19 consultations for the World Conference Against Racism as a means of evaluating the current direction of Conference preparations and whether United States participation in the Conference itself is warranted … . Our participation in these informal negotiations does not indicate—and should not be misconstrued to indicate—that the United States will participate in April in the World Conference Against Racism itself.. (12)United States Acting State Department Spokesman Robert Wood announced on February 27, 2009: The United States will not engage in further negotiations on this [draft outcome document] text, nor will we participate in a conference based on this text.. (13)Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini announced on March 5, 2009, the withdrawal of the Italian delegation from the preparatory negotiations for the Durban II Conference due to aggressive and anti-Semitic statements in the draft of the event’s final document. (14)United States Acting Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs James Warlick stated on March 21, 2009: Our conclusion was that there was just not the political will to work with us. Rather than give legitimacy to a conference that has another agenda—not racism—but another agenda, we decided that we would step back.. (15)Pre-conference drafts for the Durban I Conference condemned Israel for allegedly pursing a racist Zionist agenda and committing crimes against humanity. (16)An African-led effort at the Durban I Conference sought to include a demand for reparations from the West for slavery. (17)Conferees at the Durban I Conference tried to condemn the United States for refusing to adopt certain United Nations treaties. (18)The United States cannot accept treaty requirements that are incompatible with the United States Constitution. (19)In December 2007, the United States delegation to the United Nations rejected the United Nations biennial budget for 2008–2009 due, in part, because of proposals to fund the Durban II Conference. (20)The chair of the Preparatory Committee for the Durban Review Conference is Libya, and the co-chairs include several countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, and Cuba which have failed to demonstrate consistent equality of respect for human rights. (21)Libya is a member of the League of Arab States, whose Arab Charter on Human Rights calls for the elimination of Zionism. (22)Both Libya and Iran are strong supporters of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in the United Nations Human Rights Council, which has historically been hostile to Israel. (23)The United Nations Human Rights Council is responsible for organizing the Durban II Conference. (24)The United Nations Human Rights Council has ignored ongoing repression in Sudan, Belarus, the People’s Republic of China, Cuba, North Korea, Zimbabwe, and other countries. (25)The United Nations Human Rights Council has held ten regular sessions concerning human rights worldwide and five special sessions to condemn Israel. (26)The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted more resolutions and decisions condemning Israel than all the other 191 United Nations member states combined. (27)United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/86 rejects the position that Zionism is racism or a form of racial discrimination. (28)Over $2,000,000 from the United Nations regular budget has been expended on Durban II Conference preparatory activities. (29)The United States is the largest contributor to the United Nations system and is assessed for a full 22 percent of the United Nations regular budget. (30)The United States House of Representatives passed House Resolution 557 on September 25, 2007, which strongly condemned the United Nations Human Rights Council for ignoring severe human rights abuses in various countries, while choosing to unfairly target Israel by including it as the only country permanently placed on the Council’s agenda.