Critics say upcoming UN Durban commemoration whitewashes antisemitic 2001 conference

The Israeli mission to the UN and other critics are pushing back against a UN commemoration of the 2001 Durban conference against racism, which critics view as a landmark in contemporary antisemitism. Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon called for a boycott, saying the event whitewashes a 'toxic legacy' of antisemitism and incitement against Israel. The 2001 conference was marred by antisemitic rhetoric, including Nazi imagery and calls for Hitler to have 'finished the job,' leading the US and Israeli delegations to walk out.

The Israeli mission to the United Nations and other critics are pushing back against an upcoming UN commemoration of the 2001 Durban conference against racism, an event they view as a landmark in contemporary antisemitism. Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, called for a boycott on Tuesday, saying, 'Do not legitimize this toxic legacy. There is nothing to celebrate about 25 years of antisemitism and incitement against Israel.' The 2001 conference in Durban, South Africa, was marred by antisemitic rhetoric at an NGO forum, where activists sold the antisemitic forgery 'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,' distributed pamphlets supporting Adolf Hitler, and displayed caricatures of hook-nosed Jews. Protesters held a placard reading 'Hitler should have finished the job.' The US and Israeli delegations and the Jewish caucus left in protest. The conference is seen as a turning point that framed Israel as a racist violator of human rights. The upcoming commemoration on September 28, 2026, marks the 25th anniversary. The UN materials do not mention the antisemitism but hail the Durban declaration as a 'blueprint to combat racism.' Critics, including Anne Bayefsky of Touro Institute on Human Rights, argue the declaration singles out Israel as the only named country, associating it with racism.