by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright September 5, 2001
All Rights Reserved.

olting the World Conference Against Racism, the United States said sayonara to the much-anticipated global event, attempting the ambitious goal of mapping a blueprint to combat racism, xenophobia and discrimination. For months leading up to the conference at the Indian Ocean port of Durban, South Africa, the White House agonized over sending a high-level State Department delegation including Secretary of State Colin L. Powell. Expecting bitter vilifications from Arab states, Powell opted out, slapped conference sponsors in the face and antagonized the Islamic world. With Arabs pushing to draft incendiary language, branding Zionism as racism, Powell finally called it quits. Stating the White House position, “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 is racism’; or supports the idea that we have made too much of the Holocaust; or suggest that apartheid exists in Israel; or that singles out only one country in the word, Israel, for censure and abusive language,” said Powell, reminding conference participants that the U.S. will not turn a blind eye.

       Insulting U.S. foreign policy, Palestinian Authority envoy to South Africa Salman Harfy shot off his mouth, blaming the U.S. departure on America’s unwillingness to face its role in slavery. In case Harfy forgot, he should read the Declaration of Independence, committing the U.S. to the evolving process of equality and individual liberty. No country has made more sacrifices, written more laws, shown more tolerance, paid a higher price, and done more to advance the dignity of man than the United States. It’s easy to spew inflammatory rhetoric and ignore modern tribal and religious warfare still going on in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and, yes, Europe. Ethnic cleansing and genocide, religious and racial discrimination and widespread intolerance are all too common in many parts of the globe. Pointing fingers at Israel, Harfy misses that his Palestinian brothers are voting members of the Israeli Parliament [the Kinesset], whether or not they regard Israel as an occupying force. Since 1967, Harfy also forgets that sovereign Arab nations—including Palestinians—went to war against Israel, losing Jordan’s East Jerusalem, Syria’s Golan Heights, and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip.

       Few countries cede territory legitimately conquered in war. Yet Israel signed Camp David Accords in 1979, returning the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, earning Jimmy Carter, Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin the Nobel Peace Prize. Most people think that when Palestinians call Israel an “occupying force” they’re referring to territories seized during the ’67 war. But, in fact, Israel didn’t annex territories owned by Palestinians, they conquered parts of Jordan, Syria and Egypt. When Clinton’s final attempt at Camp David collapsed last summer, Arafat won unprecedented concessions from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, giving Palestinians—not Jordanians—control of parts of East Jerusalem. Wanting the whole enchilada, Arafat rejected Barak’s offer, left the bargaining table and chose his “intifada” as a means of winning more concessions. But the real sticking point for Arafat was not East Jerusalem, it was reclaiming real estate lost to Israel during its declaration of sovereignty in 1948. To Arafat, all of Israel is an occupied territory. Back then, Palestinians had no sovereignty over today’s occupied lands, once held by Jordan, Syria and Egypt.

       When Secretary of State Colin Powell recognized that the World Conference Against Racism turned into an Arab publicity stunt against Israel, it was time to say goodbye. “It is unfortunate and unnecessary,” Harfy said about Powell’s order. “It is easy to blame Arabs and Palestinians. They are accustomed to blaming us. They are lying. We are in negotiations. We didn’t close the door . . . As usual, they hid their real intentions.” With diplomacy like that, is it any wonder the U.S. headed for the exits? “The original goals of the conference could not be more uplifting and noble,” said Rep. Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo), a holocaust survivor and member of the U.S. delegation. Walking out, the U.S. delivered a clear message to the Arab world: They have no intention of abandoning their key ally in the Middle East. Israel’s strategic interest to the U.S. cannot be compromised by regional politics. Arafat’s “intifada,” is not only an unwritten declaration of war on Israel, but a direct threat to U.S. interests.

       Unfettered access to Israeli ports and resources assures the U.S. military superiority in the region. Like a satellite to the U.S., Israel provides the needed foothold to maintain the lifeline of Western civilization: the unimpeded flow of oil. Teaching an important lesson, the Gulf War cemented Israel’s strategic importance—providing key intelligence and a safe harbor to the U.S. navy. Walking out of Durban, the U.S. telegraphed to Palestinians that the U.S. won’t be swayed by pressure tactics and political agendas. Today’s U.S. Middle East policy signals that suicide bombings and terror aren’t the best path to a comprehensive peace. It didn’t work in Oklahoma for Timothy McVay and won’t work in Israel for the Palestinian Authority. There’s plenty of hateful rhetoric to go around. But diplomats like Salman Harfy need to bite their tongues before sabotaging the rights of the “untouchables” in India, aborigines in Australia or the plight of migrant workers worldwide. Without official U.S. participation, the World Conference Against Racism is an empty promise.

       Grandstanding on the world stage, radical elements at the World Conference Against Racism selfishly pushed great expectations into tragic disappointments. Bolting the conference, the U.S. didn’t avoid its past, it rejected intolerable propaganda turning the event on its head. “I am very, very disappointed, but I am not surprised,” said Rep. Donna M. Christen-Christensen (D-Virgin Islands), expressing her regrets that the conference would not get to address transatlantic slavery. Like so many places, a few bad apples ruin it for the well-intentioned majority. “We must persist in our endeavors,” said Mary Robinson, the U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights, crushed by the U.S. pull-out but hopeful that something positive could result. As Powell stated, no global conference dealing with racism should allow hate to infect the hard work of worthy participants. Taking a lonely path, the U.S. reminded conference organizers that—no matter how unpopular—minority rights still count. When planning their next event, regional squabbles shouldn’t be allowed to torpedo important goals. With so much injustice to pass around, no one should be singled out or let off the hook.

About the Author

John M. Curtis is editor of OnlineColumnist.com and columnist for the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He’s director of a Los Angeles think tank specializing in political consulting and strategic public relations. He’s the author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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