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Euroasian Jewish News
Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Appeal to Governments, Parliaments and Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Independe
18.04.2009
Dear sirs!
The leaders of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), which unites Jewish communities on the national level of 25 countries of Easter Europe, the CIS, and the Asian and Pacific Ocean region, turns to you with an expression of most sincere concern of the state of preparation of the International Conference under UN aegis, which has received the nickname “Durban II.”
Being quite concerned with the events of the first conference (Durban I), when odious and discriminatory paragraphs that defamed Israel appeared in the final document of this tendentious gathering, after familiarizing ourselves with the first version of the project of the final document of the conference due to take place in Geneva, which contained similar passages, we have already made an appeal against participation in this conference.
It is no secret to anyone that the unjust accusations of racism and an apartheid policy made towards Israel reflect in one way or another on the Jews and their organizations, both secular and religious. We believe that the government bodies and the community of our countries must do everything necessary to completely exclude the support of anti-Semitism.
Today, mostly because of international protests from countries and non-governmental organizations, the project of the final document has been changed. We know that Russian diplomats have been actively working on editing this text. Nonetheless, we are worried that a significant number of forces which desire to turn the upcoming Geneva conference into an area for defaming Israel still exists. We do not want a repetition of the Durban I conference, the results of which led to a rise in enthusiasm for anti-Semites of all kinds, and made people of good will feel confused and embarrassed.
THUS, THE EURO-ASIAN JEWISH CONGRESS:
• having gathered on international and national conferences of the countries of our region,
• having examined the questions related to the Durban II conference both in plenary meetings and expert work by sections,
• having carried out a series of consultations and meetings on the level of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the countries in which EAJC acts,
• coming from the conclusions and decisions which were adopted, and also from the general positions towards racial, religious, and ethnic discrimination,
• understanding the responsibility of non-governmental organizations for the international prestige of the countries where they are registered and where they act,
TURNS TO YOU WITH AN URGENT REQUEST:
• to seriously change the format of your participation in the Geneva conference, and to reduce the level of representation in it,
• to maintain a constant dialogue first and foremost with those organizations whose interests are affected or are attacked directly by any statement or action from international, governmental, or non-governmental structures;
• to take into account the opinion of Jewish organizations when making decisions;
• to foresee measures in governmental informational policies that are aimed at the strengthening of tolerance in society and a benevolent, peace-loving attitude towards representatives of national minorities from their fellow countrymen.
We ask you, as people of good will, to understand us and support us in our concern and just protest against the possible of demonization and delegitimization of the State of Israel. In any other case it will certainly violate the rights of the Jewish minority, which goes against contemporary norms of humanity by denying part of the citizens of your countries the free and protected right to coexist with other peoples.
We are certain that in the nearest years and through collective efforts, we will be able to achieve significant progress in solving the whole complex of questions that concerns preventing transgressions on racial, ethnic, and religious grounds.
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