Jerusalem Post - 08.05.2001

 

The Jerusalem Post

Lantos wants anti-Zionist wording removed from UN conference resolution

By Janine Zacharia

WASHINGTON (August 5) - Congressman Tom Lantos (D-California) set off for Geneva yesterday, where preparations are under way for a UN conference on racism later this month, to try to persuade drafters of the conference's resolution to take out language that equates Zionism with racism and other clauses offensive to Jews and to Israel.

Lantos, the ranking democrat on the House International Relations Committee, has met in recent days with European ambassadors in Washington as well as with the deputy chief of mission at the Egyptian embassy, to explain "all ramifications" if a resolution that unfairly singles out Israel is passed.

Last month Lantos introduced a resolution, which passed overwhelmingly in the House, that "exhorts the participants to utilize [the conference] to mitigate rather than aggravate racial, ethnic and regional tensions."

"I hope the Geneva conference will have an outcome that will eliminate from the text the viciously unfair anti-Israel statements," Lantos told a small group of reporters in his office on Friday. He added that if the anti-Israel rhetoric remained, he believes "the United States should not dignify (the conference) with the presence of a US official at the highest level."

Last week, Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-New York), initiated letters to Secretary of State Colin Powell and to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, signed by 35 members of Congress urging the two men "to advocate to all nation...the importance of keeping inflammatory, anti-Israel language out of this important conference."

While the Jewish members of Congress are urging Powell not to attend if the language remains, members of the black caucus are pressing him to travel to South Africa, where the conference will take place, so that the US can take part in discussions of slavery and reparations, top issues of concern to the American black community.