Ros-Lehtinen Calls on U.S. and Allies to Fight Isolation of Israel, Not Participate in Durban II

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today commented on the release of a revised "outcome document" for the United Nations Durban Review Conference on Racism (Durban II), to be held in April of 2009. The document reaffirms the entire original Declaration and Program of Action of the first Durban Conference, which was an anti-Semitic hate-filled event. This proposed text singles out Israel for criticism while ignoring those who propagate racism and intolerance, while also aiming to restrict freedom of expression in the name of preventing "Islamophobia." Ros-Lehtinen has urged the U.S. to refrain from attending from Durban II, proposed legislation to prevent U.S. funds from being used in any way to support that conference, and held a meeting in June with foreign diplomats, State Department officials, Members of Congress, human rights groups and other non-governmental organizations to discuss an alternative forum to combat discrimination and intolerance. Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

"Even as Israel fights for its life against violent Palestinian extremists in Gaza, enemies of freedom continue to single out the Jewish state for castigation. Iran, Libya, Cuba, and their fellow repressive regimes at the UN continue to deny the Jewish state's right to exist, and they aim, through Durban II and other UN efforts, to prevent Israel from defending itself.

The closer it gets to Durban II's start date, the more clearly we see that the fix is in, and that Durban II has nothing to do with anti-racism and everything to do with attacking Israel and the Jewish people.

Free nations should unite against violent radical Islamists and prevent the further manipulation of the UN to legitimize their extremist agenda. The U.S. and other responsible nations must stand up to the dictatorships that have hijacked much of the UN in general and Durban II in particular. We should, like Canada and Israel, refuse to fund or participate in that hate-fest, and we must lend our legitimacy only to those efforts that truly advance the cause of tolerance and non-discrimination."