WJC official: Jews must engage Durban II

Says Jewish organizations must not ignore preparations for follow up anti-racism conference.

By HAVIV RETTIG GUR
durban anti-israel 248 88 (photo credit: AP [file])
durban anti-israel 248 88
(photo credit: AP [file])
Many Jewish organizations are crying 'wolf' in complaining that "everyone is against us" in international forums, says World Jewish Congress official Peleg Reshef. "This is the wrong attitude," he believes. "Either these groups want to raise money this way, or they genuinely feel that everyone is against us. But we can't bury our heads in the sand anymore. We need to cooperate so we can affect the agenda." Reshef is the WJC's director of the World Jewish Diplomatic Corps, a network of some 100 young Jewish professionals engaged in a volunteer capacity in diplomatic work in a wide variety of forums. Two such volunteers, South Africans Gershon Hurwitz and Mark Pozniak, recently attended one of the preparatory meetings for next April's Durban Review Conference in Geneva, a follow-up to the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa. The preparatory meeting took place in late August in Abuja, Nigeria, and dealt with the African agenda for the review conference. "As Jews we were very well received and as Africans we were very well received," said Hurwitz of the Abuja gathering. "I think we made a big contribution. We were very involved in dealing with other NGOs." According to Reshef, the preliminary regional conferences are important. "The agenda is decided in the preparations; it's not just about what happens in Geneva, but about how the NGOs, human rights organizations and governments organize for it." Yet few Jewish groups have attended the preparatory meetings, with the exception of focused organizations such as UN Watch. At Abuja, the World Jewish Diplomatic Corps participants met with various NGOs, "and can identify which ones are more hostile, and which are more authentic in dealing with human rights." This was important preparation, said Reshef, "for stepping out of the circle of the Jewish caucus and joining hands with authentic human rights groups who will march with us if we march with them on issues we agree on. We can influence the process that will culminate in the conference itself."