Original Source: http://coleman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=adeecfa2-deef-ca45-1902-34c5c727c1fb&Month=3&Year=2008


SENATE BACKS COLEMAN BY DENYING U.S. FUNDING FOR U.N. DURBAN II CONFERENCE 
 
March 13th, 2008 - Washington DC - The United States Senate this evening unanimously passed an amendment introduced by Senator Norm Coleman to the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution to deny U.S. taxpayer dollars from supporting the United Nations Durban II Anti-Racism Conference, which is the follow-up to the infamous U.N. World Conference on Racism held in Durban, South Africa in 2001. Coleman’s amendment prohibits funding for the conference and instead allocates such dollars towards domestic veterans’ services. The United States and Israel walked out of the first Durban Conference after anti-Semitic and anti-Israel activities at the Conference became intolerable. Actions taken by the organizers of Durban II thus far indicate that Israel-bashing will once again take center stage. 

“American tax dollars should not be used to support an international platform for hateful, anti-Semitic propaganda under the guise of combating racism,” said Coleman. “Passage of this amendment sends a clear message from the Senate: we will not dignify this hypocrisy with funding and we call on the State Department to formally reject U.S. participation in it. The first Durban conference was bad enough – the late Rep. Tom Lantos, a Holocaust survivor and U.S. delegate, was part of the walk-out, calling it the most sickening display of anti-Semitism since the Nazi period. With Libya in the Chair and Iran as a Vice-Chair, Durban II will likely be even worse.” 

Recently, Senator Coleman and 26 of his Senate colleagues sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging the State Department to not participate in Durban II. Senator Coleman also passed an amendment to the fiscal year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill which prohibited any funding from the U.S. from being used to support the UN Human Rights Council, which serves as the planning authority for the Durban Conference. The amendment was in response to the Council’s sole focus on demonizing Israel at the expense of reviewing urgent human rights situations throughout the world. 

40 countries joined the U.S. in voting against funding for Durban II in the UN biannual budget for 2008-09.