Justifying a racist policy

The US has boycotted a UN racism conference in Geneva, scheduled for April 20, because it says a text drawn up for the event criticises Israel. Canada and Israel have already said they plan to boycott the meeting. This is not the first time US and Israel stand against the whole world on a non-issue.

In 2001, American and Israeli delegates walked out of a similar conference in Durban, South Africa, when a draft document likened Zionism to racism. The document was more than balanced as it raised concern at the "increase of racist practices of Zionism and anti-Semitism". The Durban conference talked of the emergence of "movements based on racism and discriminatory ideas, in particular the Zionist movement, which is based on racial superiority".

Zionism is the militant and violent ideology behind the creation of a state for European and other Jewish immigrants on historical Palestine. Zionist leaders "used" the Jewish religion to achieve their colonialist goals. Those Zionists had nothing to do with religion, and were collaborating with the fading imperial powers to occupy a land and effect an ethnic cleansing of the population through brutal and bloody terrorist activities.

The slogans and ideas of Zionism were even more racist than the European stand against Jews that led to Second World War atrocities. Using religious notions - out of context - to advance opportunistic political goals, Zionists caused more harm to Judaism and Jews than that inflicted by so-called anti-Semites. Those veterans are now represented by the ruling elite in Israel, mainly coming from central and eastern European origins. According to late Dr Abdul Wahab Al Masri, an expert on the matter, Zionism is a natural development of European ills, i.e. a culmination of racist attitudes in the continent.

The kind of racism practised by Israeli leaders, colonists and other citizens is blunt; you see it every day - but the Americans and some other Europeans turn a blind eye to it on purpose. Take a few instances of how the US is trying to protect a select few from criticism - just criticism and not international persecution - and one can see how the proclaimed leader of the free world is arrogant and biased.

Ex-Israeli prime minister Menachim Begin, in a speech to the Knesset in 1982, described Palestinians as "beasts walking on two legs". Ehud Barak, Israel's prime minister in 2000, was quoted in the Jerusalem Post: "The Palestinians are like crocodiles, the more you give them meat, they want more". Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav, was quoted in The Jerusalem Post in 2001 as saying: "There is a huge gap between us [Jews] and our enemies not just in ability but in morality, culture, sanctity of life, and conscience. They are our neighbours here, but it seems as if at a distance of a few hundred meters away, there are people who do not belong to our continent, to our world, but actually belong to a different galaxy."

There's no question of going to lengths to verify such statements, as the so-called "world leader" is adamant on supporting historical lies and fabrications. It seems freedom of speech is sacred when it comes to defaming Islam and Christianity. But any mention of Israel is anti-Semitism, as Israel is the "Jewish collective"! This is simply a mockery of people's intelligence and forceful re-writing of history that is discriminatory and racist in nature.

Anti-Semitism is not criticism of Israel, this is a big ugly lie - Arabs are in many ways more of Semites than many Caucasian Arian Zionists who led the terrorist organisations in Palestine under a British mandate. Their leaders such as Ze'ev (Vladimir)Jabotinsky and Theodor Herzl had nothing to do with religion, Judaism or any other - they just used it in a racist way that is not consistent with any religion.

It is true that conquerors write history to their liking, falsifying and fabricating to subjugate the conquered. It is also true that the US is now the leading power in today's world, and the only heir of the previous order of imperial European powers. It seems that America is still carrying the heritage of discrimination and racism to an extent that discredits its preaching of freedom.

Boycotting conferences like in Durban or Geneva is not going to change the facts and would adversely affect American efforts to use calls for freedom and human rights to advance its interests worldwide.

Dr Ahmad Mustafa is a London-based Arab writer.