As Durban 2, the UN international conference on racism, opens today, the U.S. will not be in attendance.  Concerns about the conference being, once again, a forum for extensive Israel bashing and possible promotion of infringements on free speech caused the pullout, after amendments to preparatory  documents failed to remove these elements from the table.

Joining the U.S. in the boycott are Israel, Germany, Australia, and Canada among others.

The main question that arises in these situations is clear: better to boycott and let the potential hatred and hypocrisy rage on, or join the debate, risking a political and public relations mess but potentially giving the discussion an added dimension?

Human rights groups have made it clear that they are displeased with Obama’s decision to boycott, while pro-Israel groups are greatly relieved.  The Israeli government is (obviously) very supportive of this decision, though there are those who believe that not only America’s but Israel’s participation would have been the wiser step.

It is, no question, a murky area.  As the conference coincides with Holocaust Rememberance Day, many have taken an added degree of offense that a headline speaker is Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a Holocaust-denier, proclaimed hater of Israel, and leader of a country with its own issues of racial intolerance and human rights violations.  The fact that the conference is also made up in large part of countries themselves accused of such violations and instances of intolerance seem to make it a lost cause.

So, better to leave it to those who will hopefully be easily discredited, making the whole conference a political joke? Or join the discussion and risk the political dammage (and the whole thing being a joke anyway)? 

(Side note: France is participating, though say they will walk out if the discussion turns to racist comments against Israel.  Great Britain and the Czech Republic are there as well, but without high level officials.)

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