The Battle of Durban II: Israel, Palestine & the United Nations. The whole story is here: Durban I, pro-Israel preparation for Durban II, and Durban II; official meetings and resolutions and NGO action. Did the preparation prevent Durban II from repeating Durban I abuses?
Letting all sides be heard at length, these filmmakers achieved balance. The numerous scenes and cleverly explicated concepts made one feel like a witness to powerful drama.
I could tell you what was in the film, but you still would find it vital viewing. One must see the masses of protesters shouting dissidents down and shaking fists in their faces, and the reactions of those whose noses were inches from a bash. Was the anger genuine, valid, or a hate-rally? Are angry mass-protests consistent with civil society?
The theme is that the 50+ UN members in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), whose clout usually draws a UN majority, have largely bent the UN for their own strategic, semi-warfare purpose. They thwart inquiry into their massive human rights abuses and other major ones, leaving most victims’ groups feeling left out of the UN. The OIC refocuses attention onto Israel’s comparatively minor abuses that I have found to be unproved allegations. After millions are murdered in sub-Sahara Africa, in contrast to hundreds killed in Gaza in self-defense, the obsession with Israel raises the question of who are the real victims. The film offers audiences enough foundation to evaluate its theme for themselves.
It took skilled presentation to revive the suspense in events whose outcome we know, such as would the U.S. and other delegations attend or boycott. Would Western attendance prevent or sanitize extreme resolutions? Would its boycott reflect racism? Did “engagement” work?
There remains dispute over the contents of the final resolution, the NGO atmosphere, and Durban II empowers the gang-up climate against Israel
The film tackles the issue whether anti-Israel sentiment is antisemitic. Again, you judge. I wonder whether that question remains significant, considering that both sentiments are forms of prejudice. I say prejudice, after hearing indignant people discuss the issue via loaded terms and accusations without depth or sufficient explanation to show a basis. As my series on The Big Lie Technique Era in the Arab-Israel Conflict points out, accusations have become a war tactic divorced from reality. (To see it, click here )
The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) compromised. It withheld certain accusations, and in exchange, the final resolution omitted gays from human rights protection. Islam disapproves of homosexuality. It is one thing to disapprove, another to discriminate, and a third to murder gays, as has been done in the Palestinian Authority. The OIC view of Islam is to consider certain murders excusable (I am not counting self-defense as murder). As a participant pointed out, that violates international human rights conventions. This is a clash between human rights and a religion’s more aggressive leaders. Note, the OIC represents all Islamic governments, not just the ones usually considered radical.
The filmmakers plan a follow-up documentary to Durban II, called The Obama Doctrine.
Film Facts:
80 minutes. Color.
A Globalvision production directed and co-produced by Rory O’Connor.
Written by Rory O’Connor with Gerald Barad.
DVDs are on sale. The producers seek theaters in which to exhibit the film+.
For more information: www.thebattleofdurbanii.com roc@globalvision.org
(For an IDF view of its combat ethics, click here
For information about Goldstone and his report on IDF combat in Gaza, click here
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