Visit: http://israelreview.bdsmovement.net

United Against Racism, Dignity & Justice for All - is the slogan of theUnited Nations' Durban Review Conference to be held in Geneva between 20and 24 April 2009.

United Against Apartheid, Colonialism and Occupation, Dignity & Justicefor the Palestinian People - is the slogan of those who believe thatinternational law can and should become relevant for the people andgovernments in the Middle East.

The Israel Review Conference

The Israel Review Conference will take place in Geneva on 18 - 19 April,two days before the United Nations' Durban Review Conference will examine the progress made inimplementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA)adopted by the World Conference Against Racism (2001) and strengthen its recommendations.

The Israel Review Conference will bring together internationally renowned experts and actors for social and political justice who will:

• examine how the UN anti-racism instruments apply to Israel's policies and practices regarding the Palestinian people; and,
• develop practical recommendations on how to make Israel accountable to international law and protect the rights of the Palestinian people.

The second day of the conference will be reserved for self-organizedworkshops and planning meetings of the global Campaign for Boycott,Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies withinternational law.

IJANwill be organizing a panel on the Jewish National Fund campaign withHabitat International Coalition, the Scottish Palestine SolidarityCommittee and the Palestinian BNC as well as a panel with UnitedAgainst Racism on building joint struggle across grassroots movementsand Palestine liberation in the United States.

The Israel Review Conference is open to the public. It will be held atthe Hotel Le Grenil, Avenue Sainte-Clotilde 7, 1205 Geneva.

For more information, updates, and a detailed program of the conference, please visit:
http://israelreview.bdsmovement.net

The Israel-Review Conference is sponsored by the Palestinian Boycott,Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) in cooperation with the:

• European Coordinating Committee on Palestine (ECCP)
• International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)
• International Coordinating Network on Palestine (ICNP)

To contact the organizers, please write to: info@bdsmovement.net

To register online, visit: http://israelreview.bdsmovement.net/node/29

Note: The Israel Review Conference is open to the general public. Thepurpose of this registration is to help the organizers in planning forthe conference.

To contact the organizers, please write to: outreach@bdsmovement.net

Please support us in sending delegations of anti-racist activists to the World Conference Against Racism. On April 20-24, Geneva will host the Durban Review Conference (DRC),an evaluation of the progress made in implementing the DurbanDeclaration and Program of Action (DDPA) adopted by the WorldConference against Racism in 2001.

TheUnited States, Canada, and Israel have withdrawn from the DurbanReview, despite the participation of all other UN member states as wellas hundred's of advocacy and activist organizations. Their withdrawalis based a claim that it is "antisemitic" to challenge Israel on itsundeniably racist policies - a central issue at the Durban Review. TheUS boycott is also based on a refusal to participate in conversationsabout reparations to African Americans for slavery. This highlights therelationships between the United States and Israel-one of a sharedcommitment to maintaining State exploitation and repression of peoplebased on race for the purposes of continuing to secure economic,military and political dominance.

Thesefalse claims are an attempt to circumvent the growing criticism andcondemnation of Israel's utter disregard for international law, humanrights, and humanity. Furthermore, they allow the Canadian and UnitedStates' governments to avoid processes designed to hold themaccountable. By not attending, they leave unanswered the demands madeof them in 2001 for reparations and amends for their own histories ofcolonization of indigenous people and land, slavery and on-goingdiscrimination against African Americans, and the targeting ofimmigrants.

Weare supporting a delegation of eight organizers - anti-Zionist Jews,African Americans and Palestinians - to challenge the US boycottagainst the conference and expose the relationship between the USsupport for Israel and its own deep history and practice of racism. Tochallenge a strong Zionist presence being mobilized in Geneva, we arealso supporting a European delegation of anti-Zionist Jews to protestthe boycott of the conference based on the inclusion of Palestinianrights. This will also is an opportunity for us to further build IJAN'swork in the region.

TheZionist protest of this conference and denial of Israel'saccountability for its racist policies and practices is well resourced.Our resources are few but our voice and organizing is critical at thisinternational forum and in this historic moment. Click here to support us in making these delegations possible.