For immediate release
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Contact:
Kali Akuno, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, 510.593.3956; [email protected]
Noura Erakat, United States Palestinian Community Network, 510.847.4239; [email protected]
Sara Kershnar, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, 510.685.5347; [email protected]
Washington, D.C. – The United Against Racism Coalition, an allied call to end the US boycott of the World Conference Against Racism and for genuine justice for Palestine, issued an open letter to the Obama Administration today urging United States participation in the upcoming United Nations Durban Review of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR), to be held in Geneva, Switzerland April 20 – 24. The United Against Racism coalition consists of a broad range of individuals and organizations concerned with the application of civil and human rights protections for immigrants and the communities of Arab, Indigenous, Jewish, African, and Latin descent within the US.
The open letter calls on President Obama to apply his campaign themes of hope, change and renewed international diplomacy to this global forum to address issues of racial injustice domestically and internationally.
The Coalition cautions Obama against accepting the stand of the Israeli lobby that equates criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. The group also argues that boycotting the conference undermines President Obama’s pledge to adopt a multilateral approach to address international conflicts and move beyond the Bush administration’s hostility toward the United Nations. “Boycotting the UN Conference Against Racism sends a dangerous message that silencing criticism of Israel is a higher priority for the US government than participating in international efforts to combat racism and protect universal human rights at home and abroad”, warns Sara Kershnar, International Jewish anti-Zionist Network.
The letter also condemns US financial aid for Israel – $3 billion in unrestricted funds annually–that enables it to violate Palestinian rights and international conventions. “Billions of US tax dollars annually are used to support Israeli aggression against Palestinian civilians”, asserts Monadel Herzallah, United States Palestinian Community Network. “We are calling on President Obama to redirect these scarce resources towards much-needed programs and services addressing issues of structural racism and inequality in the US.”
As commented by Kali Akuno from Malcom X Grassroots Movement, “Obama’s election is a significant, yet contradictory, moment for a country founded on the genocide of indigenous peoples, the enslavement of people of African descent, and the exploitation of immigrants here and the peoples of the global south. Still, I am hopeful that President Obama will join with other world leaders and grassroots forces in a genuine dialogue towards an end to war and racism through the WCAR process.”
