AJC forcefully condemned the speech of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's President, to the UN Durban Review Conference in Geneva. "It's a sad day when the UN gives an advocate of genocide the spotlight at a supposed anti-racism conference - on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, no less," said David Harris. "Ahmadinejad has repeatedly called for the destruction of another UN member state, Israel, and trampled on the human rights of his own people. He makes a mockery of the struggle against racism." AJC commended those delegations, including several European countries and Morocco, that walked out of the hall in protest during Ahmadinejad's remarks.
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Criticizing Durban II Declaration

"Once again, the UN has chosen the unfair treatment of Israel over the real fight for equality and human rights," said AJC after adoption by the Durban Review Conference of an outcome document that singles out Israel and endangers freedom of speech. The document "reaffirms the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), as it was adopted" at Durban in 2001..READ RELEASE
UN Watch Co-Sponsors NGO Summit on Human Rights
AJC's Geneva-based affiliate, UN Watch, took the lead during the UN Durban Review Conference in focusing Geneva's attention on the real victims of human rights abuses. Joined by 40 NGO coalition partners, UN Watch organized Sunday's Geneva Summit for human rights, tolerance and democracy,which featured leading dissidents and human rights activists from around the world, including Iran, Cuba, Belarus, and Venezuela, before a diverse audience of 600.
AJC Co-sponsors Rally for Israel at UN in Geneva
  AJC co-sponsored today's "Rally for Israel, Human Rights and Peace" in front of the United Nations where the Durban II conference was taking place. David Harris led the demonstration of 2,000 people in support of Israel. Earlier in the day, AJC co-sponsored the "Conference against Racism, Discrimination and Persecution," which highlighted the voices of victims of genocide and human rights abuses. 
 
ACCESS Delegation Advocates for Israel, Human Rights in Geneva

A 25-member delegation of ACCESS, AJC's young leadership program, attended this week's Durban Review Conference in Geneva, introducing AJC's next generation of leaders to multilateral diplomacy. The group engaged in dialogue about racism with other delegates, participated in several rallies in support of human rights and Israel, and met privately with ambassadors and other diplomats from dozens of countries around the world.
Saluting Democratic States Shunning Durban II
AJC praised the United States for its principled decision to not attend the Durban Review Conference. "The Obama Administration correctly concluded that the reaffirmation of the 2001 Durban Declaration in the final declaration effectively singles out Israel for condemnation. That is an outrage," said AJC.  AJC also commended Australia, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, New Zealand, and the Czech Republic for withdrawing from the conference, thereby joining with Canada, Israel and Italy in pulling out. Visit AJC Media Center at www.ajc.org for additional news releases. AJC had encouraged nations of good will to withdraw from the conference once it became abundantly clear that it might well undermine democratic values and the struggle for racial equality - two causes to which AJC has been steadfastly committed for over a century.  The Chapter is communicating with the consulates representing the eight democracies that joined America and Israel in withdrawing from the conference.  Thirty-five countries walked out of the conference when the Iranian spoke.  Representatives from more than 140 countries, including all of Latin America, Africa and Asia stayed for his speech.

Jason Isaacson, AJC's director of government and international affairs, represented AJC in a private meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the start of the King's weeklong visit to Washington. The monarch, the first Arab head of state to meet with President Obama in the White House, exchanged views on Middle East political and security issues.

David Harris, in his national radio commentary, salutes the countries that walked out when Iran's president, "the world's racist-in-chief," addressed the UN Durban Review Conference in Geneva. LISTEN