The latest attacks on Israel by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at the World Conference Against Racism, though unfortunate for the prospects of reaching a final United Nations declaration against racism, are only an indication of the level to which this conflict has escalated.
With the recent increase in violence and killings, asymmetrically toward Palestinians, it is unrealistic for the international community to expect Palestinian leaders not to voice their frustrations. Peaceful, cooperative and diplomatic behavior to reach an international accord is a privileged concept when, concurrently, homes are being destroyed and innocent people are being killed on both sides of the line.
Lack of regular, third-party intervention in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has practically configured the Durban conference as the only place where Palestinians could voice their affliction. It cannot be expected that they accept such complex notions and words as “racism” and “discrimination” in a weeklong conference when months and years of negotiations and dialogue have been unable to resolve or even recognize the events they label as “racist” and “discriminatory.”
When officials from the U.S., Canada, and Israel label the situation in Durban as “unfortunate,” referring to the sticky language of Israel’s dealing with the Palestinians, what is really unfortunate is the complacency of the international community in addressing the roots of the problem, which lie deeper than disputed words. It is hoped that out of this conference will come a long-term commitment to help restart dialogue between Israelis and the Palestinians so that acts of racism and violence can end in the Middle East.
