UN to Mark 25th Anniversary of Durban Conference Amid Israeli Objections

The United Nations is scheduled to hold an event in New York on Monday commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa. Israel has voiced strong opposition to the commemoration, viewing the original 2001 conference as a highly problematic episode in the UN's history regarding antisemitism.

Ahead of the event, Israel's mission to the UN, led by Ambassador Danny Danon, launched a diplomatic campaign to scale back the program and garner support from countries opposing the initiative. These efforts have reportedly resulted in limiting the event to official working hours, with no additional panels, a one-hour interactive discussion, and no closing session planned.

The 2001 Durban conference, officially aimed at combating racism, saw the Israeli and U.S. delegations walk out due to the treatment of Israel and the content of some documents. A parallel NGO forum also generated significant controversy over statements and materials deemed antisemitic and hostile to Israel.

Danny Danon criticized the UN's decision to commemorate the event, stating that the organization has not learned from Durban. He urged countries committed to fighting racism to refuse participation. Israel intends to continue its diplomatic efforts against the event during its proceedings on Monday in New York.