NDP's flip-flop on Durban 2 smells like politics
No doubt new tack will find favour in Islamic community

By John Ivison
June 06, 2008
National Post 
Original Source: – HYPERLINK http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=41644677-7a04-4291-90c1-d190b34d07cc http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=41644677-7a04-4291-90c1-d190b34d07cc

Before the United Nations' first conference on racism in Durban, South Africa, in 2001, then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and human rights chief Mary Robinson, called on participants to avoid making inflammatory attacks on one another.
Despite assurances of good behaviour, when Yassar Arafat, the late Palestinian leader, addressed the conference, he launched into a diatribe in which he accused Israel of operating a colonial racist plot of aggression ... laying hands on allthatisholy, leavingMr. Annan to shift uncomfortably in his chair and Mrs. Robinson to stare straight ahead.
Other draft declarations condemned Israel as a apartheid, racist and fascist state. Durban eventually descended into chaos as the U. S. and Israel walked out, while others resolved they would never again take part in such a circus.
But time has dimmed such distasteful memories and hope has triumphed over experience at the UN, which is now in the process of organizing Durban 2, this time in Geneva next April. Canada is the only country to have formally committed to a boycott, although the United States and several European countries are said to be thinking about pulling out, too.
So far, so much history. What's new is a fracture in the united front of support for the Conservative government's decision to boycott the conference.
The government was backed by the Liberals, admittedly only after two MPs went on television and said Canada should participate. The arrival of Bob Rae as foreign affairs critic ended this ad hoc policy and Mr. Rae said yesterday he has no reason to believe next year's conference will be any less pointless or counter-productive than its predecessor.
But the NDP, which initially supported the government, has changed tack and is now calling on the Conservatives to take part in the Geneva conference.
The basis for this volte face is that UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon and the UN Human Rights Commissioner, Louise Arbour -- who steps down at the end of this month -- have offered their assurances that the follow-up conference will not be allowed to degenerate into an anti-Semitic gong show.
In the light of these significant new developments, we believe the government of Canada could now play a helpful role, Wayne Marston, the party's critic for human rights for international affairs, wrote to Jason Kenney, the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism.
The NDP must know that these assurances are worth as much as those Arafat gave to Mr. Annan back in 2001 ( just before delivering his speech, the Palestinian leader emerged from a three-hour meeting with U. S. civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, at which he had signed an eight-page agreement vowing not to criticize Israel).
It is already apparent that the Geneva conference will turn into a week-long airing of grievances against Israel.
The preparatory committee drawing up the agenda is chaired by a Libyan, with vice-chairs from Iran, Pakistan and Cuba. Committee meetings were held on Jewish high holidays, Yom Kippur and Passover, presumably to guarantee that there was no Israeli input.
The tentative agenda already singles out Israel; under the header victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, there are references to the Palestinians, with Israel by implication cast as the racist oppressor. And on and on.
Mr. Kenney said yesterday there is no prospect of the government changing its mind. The NDP's flip-flop is disgraceful. Canada's reasons for not participating are simple ... it shows all the signs that it will again degenerate into an openly anti-Semitic hatefest, he said.
Mr. Kenney is not the only one upset by the NDP's about-turn.
It's beyond my understanding -- a betrayal of the Jewish community and of Canadians in general, said Bernie Farber, chief executive of the Canadian Jewish Congress.
It's a sad day for the NDP when they join hands with racists. They have to take a second look at this.
So what might have persuaded Jack Layton to risk such opprobrium? Surely not something as base and sordid as domestic politics? Mr. Marston denies that the Dippers saw the opportunity to steal votes from the Liberals in ridings with large Muslim populations. He said the assurances from the UN's senior officials convinced the party to take another look.
Perhaps. But there's no doubt the party's new position will do its standing no harm with the Islamic community.
I'm encouraged they finally saw the light, said Mohamed Boudjenane, executive director of the Canadian Arab Federation and a former NDP candidate.
It certainly smells like politics. Behind their masquerade of high principles, it seems the NDP are just as capable of grubbing for votes as any of their rivals.