European Powers, US Skip UN Durban Conference Over Antisemitism Concerns

Germany, France, Italy, and Spain were among more than 40 nations that boycotted a UN "memorial conference" marking 25 years since the Durban Declaration. The boycott, which surpassed the 38 countries absent from the 20th-anniversary event in 2021, was attributed to Israeli diplomatic efforts to broaden the boycott, according to the Israeli UN mission.

Germany's Foreign Ministry stated that while it supports the stated goals of the Durban process, it opposes how it has been exploited in the past. The ministry cited repeated use of the forum for antisemitic expressions as the reason for Germany's abstention, including from follow-up conferences over the years. France and other nations adopted a similar stance.

The Durban Declaration originated from a 2001 World Conference against Racism in South Africa, aimed at combating racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia. However, the original conference was marred by intense disputes regarding Israel, with Palestinian and Syrian representatives accusing it of racism and human rights violations. Early drafts controversially linked Zionism to racism, though these were removed from the final text. Antisemitic incidents also occurred on the conference's sidelines, leading the United States and Israel to withdraw in protest.

Subsequent follow-up conferences, including one in Geneva in 2009 and anniversary events, have also generated controversy and boycotts from Western nations. The US Ambassador to the UN condemned the event as a "disgraceful memorial conference."