Senators Tell US to Skip UN Racism Conference

Eighteen U.S. senators led by New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand want the State Department to boycott a controversial United Nations anti-racism event slated for next Sept. 21 in New York City, The Wall Street Journal reports. The eleven Democrats and seven Republicans contend the Durban III World Conference Against Racism will itself become a racist forum for attacks on Israel and Jews.

Gillibrand said that scheduling the event so close to the epicenter and anniversary of 9-11 is “an insult to America.”

The U.S. boycotted Durban II, held in April 2009 in Geneva, over concerns about anti-Semitism. The remaining Western diplomats walked out during a speech in which Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel “the most cruel and racist regime.”

Canada is already boycotting Durban III. The U.S. hasn't officially followed suit, but a State Department spokesman said that earlier Durban conferences “have not been constructive” and that “our concerns based on past outcomes remain.”