Let the Truth Come Out At Durban II

So apparently we're gearing up for the next big World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa in 2009, and the US, Israel and Canada are already talking about boycotting the thing if the text of the declaration isn't to their liking. I remember the first Durban love-fest from eight years ago, right before 9/11. Back then, this conference that was supposed to be about WORLD racism got bogged down with petty fights and the usual accusations against Israel, instead of, you know, actually talking about racism. So the US and Israel got all huffy puffy and bolted the thing (with the contemptible Shimon Peres of course expressing his oh so deep regret at having to do so).

This, of course, accomplished little, and only allowed the anti-Israel crowd to express their hatred before a worldwide forum with no opposition (the most vicious stuff actually took place at an NGO Forum outside the boundaries of the conference).

And now they're doing the same thing again. The US, Israel and Canada are all puffing their chests and threatening to boycott if the World doesn't do a good enough job of pretending it has something other than hatred for Israel.

This type of thing happens all the time with the UN -- the best example was the 16 years of political arm-twisting to get enough countries to pretend to repeal the infamous "Zionism is a form of racism" General Assembly resolution (I don't think that resolution was ever TRULY repealed, but that's a topic for another day). I just don't get it.

To me, there's nothing wrong with having the truth on display. If the world thinks Zionism is racism, or that the Holocaust (capital "H") isn't unique, fine. Let them say that. I want to know how they REALLY feel. Don't make back room deals to get them to lie while thinking the nasty thoughts (and ultimately acting on them) anyway. Heck, the UN doesn't even try to hide its feelings most of the time. It spends literally 1/3 of its time either condemning Israel or basking the suffering of the Palestinians, who are, of course, the most unjustly oppressed minority on the planet (if only the blacks in Darfur realized how good they have it!). Every November 29 (the anniversary of the 1947 General Assembly Partition Resolution), the UN celebrates its annual "Day of Solidarity With the Palestinian People." Seriously. So let them say what they want at conference. If nothing else, it will probably be immensely entertaining.

The proper response is not to boycott this circus, but to send your toughest folks over there to rub the barbarians' face in their idiocy with the whole world watching. I'd love it for once for somebody from Israel or the other parts of the civilized world to say "Zionism is racism? Are you retarded? There are Israelis of virtually every race on the planet. If you want so real racism, read the PLO Covenant, which explicitly states in Article 5 that you have to be an Arab (a RACE) in order to be considered a Palestinian. That's some bitchin' old-school racism right there. Talking about Zionism, which has absolutely nothing to do with race, at a conference on racism is just downright nutty." The response to that would probably be worth the price of admission alone.