B’NAI BRITH CANADA RESPONDS TO MARY ROBINSON’S ADDRESS TO WCAR PLENARY

Recognition of racism at Durban is welcome, but statement is ‘too little, too late’

September 4, 2001

For Immediate Release

Toronto, September 4, 2001 - B’nai Brith Canada welcomes Mary Robinson’s statement condemning “those whose words and actions in Durban were themselves intolerant, even racist.” However, the organization regrets that that these words were not more explicit and were only uttered long after intolerance and racism have been allowed to flourish throughout the conference process.

Rochelle Wilner, National President of B’nai Brith Canada and Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President, who are currently in Israel for high level meetings with government and community leaders, reacted with mixed feelings to Robinson’s statement.

Rochelle Wilner commented: “While any official condemnation of the outrageous proceedings at Durban is welcome, I’m afraid Mary Robinson has spoken out too little and too late. The organizers of this UN sponsored conference were negligent in failing to stamp out the racism and intolerance that have been the hallmark of the third World Conference Against Racism and now we are seeing the logical results of such inaction.”

Frank Dimant noted: “As Israel reels from yet another terrorist attack against its civilians, one cannot but wonder at a UN process that will allow open racism and antisemitism in the guise of anti-Zionism, and at the same time will fail to speak out unequivocally against the very incitement to hatred that encourages terrorism. Make no mistake, anti-Zionism and anti-semitism are one and the same, as Durban has proved only too well.”

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B’nai Brith has been active since 1875 as the country’s senior advocacy and volunteer agency.

For further comment
Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President of B’nai Brith Canada, who can be reached in Jerusalem at [011 972 53 365 402]
[ local callers dial 053 365 402]