What other countries besides America is boycotting a forum about racism?”
Israel has recalled its ambassador to Switzerland “for consultations” amid ongoing controversy over an anti-racism conference being held in Geneva. The protest came as the UN conference was due to be addressed by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has described the Holocaust as a “myth”. The US, Australia and Germany are among countries boycotting the talks, but France and the UK are attending. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed dismay at the boycotts. Israeli officials were reported to be angered by a meeting between Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz and Mr Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of the conference. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement saying that he and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had decided to recall Ambassador Ilan Elgar from Berne “for consultations and in protest at the conference in Geneva”, Reuters reported. The conference coincides with Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel, which begins at sundown on Monday.
The US and Australia are both ‘boycotting’ the UN conference on racism, being held in Geneva, because they feel it ‘singles out’ Israel. The Durban Review Conference has made some changes to the language it is using pre-conference, but Obama feels that the changes are not enough to represent the US at this conference and therefore will not be attending.
Right now its Canada and Israel that have joined the U.S. in boycotting a forum in Geneva about Racism. So far only one head of state that is prominent is planning on attending, the president of Iran. The leaders of Europe are still discussing amongst themselves if they are going to attend or not. Even with the forum being amended the United States says that the proposed text is still unacceptable.
