Zionism Issue Could Derail UN Racism Conference

Lisa Schlein

Geneva

27 Jul 2001 15:27 UTC

The United Nations top human rights official warns that efforts to 1)equate 2)Zionism with 3)racism could 4)derail next month's World Conference On Racism in Durban, South Africa. At a news conference in Geneva, Mary Robinson told journalists the issue of Zionism should not be put on the conference 5)agenda.

Mary Robinson says nations should focus on 6)contemporary problems of racism, 7)xenophobia and 8)intolerance. She says they should 9)steer away from old, 10)emotive issues such as Zionism as racism, which could lead to a 11)breakup of the next month's Durban World Conference on Racism.

"It is not appropriate in our preparation for Durban to re-open the issue of Zionism as racism," Ms. Robinson said. It was dealt with by the United Nations in 1991 and it is singularly inappropriate to re-open it in the context of a conference, which seeks to address the 12)scourges of racism, racial 13)discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance."

Arab and Asian states want the document to include language branding Zionism, the movement that led to the creation of Israel, as a form of racism. They have proposed a draft declaration that equates Israel's treatment of the Palestinians with the Nazi Holocaust of World War II in which six million Jews were killed.

The dispute about Zionism goes back to a 1975 U.N. resolution that equated it with racism. The resolution was 14)repealed 10 years ago.

The United States has threatened to 15)boycott the Durban Racism Conference if the issue of Zionism appears on the agenda.

Ms. Robinson says she told Palestinian Leader, Yasser Arafat that the conference would fail if there was any attempt to revive the idea of Zionism as racism. "To re-open an issue which, as it would be seen, would undoubtedly cause hurt, cause a very deep sense of 16)dismay would be inappropriate," she said.

Another contentious issue concerns proposed reparations for slavery and colonialism. Many African countries are calling for financial compensation for the alleged harm done them by former slave states and colonial rulers. The United States, Canada and the European Union 17)oppose a financial settlement, fearing this could expose them to huge lawsuits.

Negotiators begin a final two week push on Monday to prepare a draft text, which will be 18)submitted to the Durban conference.

(1)      equate[I5kweIt]vt.使相等,视为平等vi.等同

(2)      Zionism[5zaIEnIz(E)m]n.犹太复国主义,犹太复国运动

(3)      racism n.种族主义, 人种偏见, 种族歧视

(4)      derail[dI5reIl]v.出轨

(5)      agenda[E5dVendE]n.pl.议程

(6)      contemporary[kEn5tempErErI]n.同时代的人adj.当代的, 同时代的

(7)      xenophobia[zenE5fEJbIE]n.仇外, 惧外者

(8)      intolerance[In`tClErLns]n.(尤指对别人的意见)不能忍耐, 不容异说, 偏狭

(9)      steer[stIE(r)]v.驾驶, 掌舵

(10)      motive[5mEJtIv]n.动机, 目的adj.发动的, 运动的

(11)      breakup[5breIkQp]n.完结, 崩溃,衰弱

(12)      scourge[sk:dV]n.鞭, 笞, 灾祸vt.鞭打, 痛斥, 蹂躏

(13)      discrimination[dIskrImI5neIF(E)n]n.辨别力, 歧视

(14)      repeal[rI5pi:l]v.废止, 撤销, 否定, 放弃 n.废除, 撤销

(15)      boycott[5bCIkRt]n.vt.联合抵制, 联合排斥某国货物或与某国绝交

(16)      dismay[dIs5meI]n.沮丧, 惊慌v.使沮丧, 使惊慌

(17)      oppose[E5pEJz]vt.反对, 使对立, 使对抗, 抗争vi.反对

(18)      submit[sEb5mIt]v.(使)服从, (使)顺从vt.提交, 递交