DURBAN II ≈ EVIAN III; NEW ANTISEMITISM

by: Pieter Bos
date: 6/13/2009
Category: Nations

Durban II ≈ Evian III; new antisemitism noot 1

Spring 2009 two events to took place in surprising proximity in time, space and topic.
- From 20-24 April Durban II, the UN-anti-racism conference convened, in Geneva;
- On April 21(!) Holocaust(!) Remembrance Day, the Evian Conference of 1938 was commemorated;
- Evian is located on the French side of the lake of Geneva(!)
This triple coincidence is too surprising to not be reflected upon.

Durban II, the UN-anti-racism conference
The official title of the conference is “Durban Review Conference on racism”.
In 2001 in Durban, the UN convened a conference on racism. (At that conference the Dutch minister Van Boxtel read an official apology concerning Dutch involvement in slave trade.) That conference was surprisingly marked, if not hijacked, by anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic statements, which reached the final report.
In the run-up to this review conference “Durban II”, it was heavily debated whether and how far these statements should/would be endorsed. Through intense international negotiations the sensitive statements on Israeli treatment of Palestinians, on slandering of religions and on compensation of slavery were omitted in the draft final declaration. Quite a few nations, including the USA, Israel and the Netherlands, boycotted the conference. Only one of the heads of state responded to the invitation: president Ahmadinejad of Iran. In his speech, on the very first day, several aggressive passages were omitted through pressure of UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon.
Nevertheless his speech contained the following passages:
“Following World War II, they [“a number of powerful countries “] resorted to military aggression to make an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering and they sent migrants from Europe, the United States and other parts of the world in order to establish a totally racist government in occupied Palestine. And, in fact, in compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine… World Zionism personifies racism that falsely resorts to religions and abuses religious sentiments to hide its hatred and ugly face… Mr. President, Ladies and gentlemen, Racism is rooted in the lack of knowledge concerning the root of human existence as the selected creature of God.”
At these statements all European delegates that had come, left the meeting.
Diplomatic pressure and public protest could not prevent that “Durban II” failed to condemn antisemitism in an effective way. This said, it seems appropriate to add that the opening day of this conference was April 20th, the birthday of Hitler; by several commentators Ahmadinejad was called “a second Hitler”.

The rise of antisemitism
In our days the rise of antisemitism is bewildering.
In France the recorded acts of antisemitism have increased to one every day, including life threats and setting synagogues to fire.
In the Benelux the public wearing of a kippah causes aggressive reactions; the protection of synagogues is given increasing attention.
Central and Eastern Europe show a similar picture; cultural isolation in education and the labor market have become normal.
The Islamic hatred of the “Zionists” has become, as the above quote shows, the normal way of their dealing with world Jewry. It is so aggressive that the world press and world politics becomes tired of correcting the lies and exaggerations, also in order not to offend Islamics, in this way soothing the world conscience concerning this lie.

Evian Conference of 1938
April 21 is Holocaust Remembrance Day. This year a special commemoration service was held in Evian-les-Bains, on the French side of the lake of Geneva, because in 1938 in that very town an international conference had been convened, called by president Roosevelt of the USA, to discuss the position of the Jews. By then it had become clear to the world that Hitler was serious in his policy that soon there would be no place for the 100,000’s of Jews in Germany and Austria.
Thirty-three nations were represented, at diplomatic level. They took one and a half days of the two to discuss who should chair the conference. In the end a US diplomat took the chair. In the remaining hours the following was discussed and said.
Hitler’s representative submitted the proposal that for DM 250 per Jew the nations could immigrate as many Jews as they wanted. The general response was that humans are not to be sold or bought, so the proposal was rejected.
The UK-delegate put forward, as a condition to participating at all, that no pressure was to be put on the UK to allow many Jews into Palestine (then a mandate territory under the UK).
Most nations used the immigration rules and the labour markets of their respective nations to be obstacles to considering immigration of (big numbers of) Jews.
The Australian delegate stated that Australia did not have a minority problem and did not want to import one (proudly denying the position of the Aboriginals).
Brazil had the largest delegation in the conference (and the largest country to represent), but they stated that they were not able to receive Jews in any numbers. (An eye-witness of the hotel remembered that many delegates were more interested in the luxurious tourist attractions of the area than in the content of the conference,)
In the final declaration it was stated that within two years a follow-up conference was to be convened, chaired by France and The Netherlands.
This outcome led to the situation that three ships, full of Jewish emigrants, were refused by a nation, represented in the conference, one in Finland, one in Canada and USA and one in the Palestine Mandate Territory.
In hindsight, with no nation willing to pay or opening the borders for a Jew, it can be understood that from then on Hitler knew: the Jews of Germany and Austria are internationally outlawed.
In hindsight this Evian-1938 conference was the green light for the Holocaust. noot 2

These two conferences coincided
In the present atmosphere of increasing antisemitism, in the very same week, on one side of the lake an international conference took place that was not able to call a halt to it, and on the other side of the lake the Holocaust was commemorated.
In Evian, a former French cabinet minister stated that our humanness is not able to perceive, let alone to prevent such evil, but evil it was. A Euro-parliamentarian stated that the EU should be ashamed that it could not reach a common stand against Durban II. A Swedish MP stated “Never again”. The Mayor of the city of Evian stated that he was glad to have this conference in his city, to clear its name of the shame of the conference in 1938. Several Jewish leaders spoke, referring to the increase of international antisemitism. An Israeli intercessor leader cried to the audience: “What are you going to do?”

“What are you going to do?”
During WWII, in all nations occupied by Germany, there were many individuals hiding Jews, at the risk of being betrayed, my father being one of them. But does that mean that I am courageous enough to do the same? Through the booklet of Steven Litle (who was present in Evian) about his vision of streams of Jewish refugees out of Russia in a foreseeable future, many Christians prepared homes and shelters to receive and look after them. Does that mean that all these shelters will be available, against the subtle or blatant regulations that sooner or later will be authorising antisemitism?
In the film “The Hiding Place” we meet some Jews who behave as if they have the right to be protected, yet being rather trying guests. The prophetic Messianic Jewish author Art Katz († 2007) suggested that fleeing Jews can be expected to be utterly bitter when a second Holocaust floods the earth. Will the determination and the strength of conviction be available to nevertheless love and protect Jews?
The coming of the Messiah, as the son of David, to rule Israel and the nations, as prophesied (the Christians know that that is Jesus returning, to start the millennium), will be preceded by a one-world government that will manage to almost totally destroy the Christians and the Jews, even wiping empty the land of Israel. (There are other interpretations of Scripture, I know, but to me and many this is very clear.) These events will be so shocking, personally and internationally, that it will also shock Christians, even to the point of leaving their faith (due to the theology that did not prepare them for this turn of events).
“What are you going to do?”
Elijahu Ben Chaim cried this to the audience. He is an internationally recognised intercessor leader and a man of faith. And he is a Jew living in Jerusalem. He perceives the international build-up of antisemitism; he perceives the international build-up of Islamic influence with its unashamed hatred of and violence against the Jews; he perceives the changing political attitude of the international community towards the state of Israel, partially because they see a Palestinian state as a necessary “solution” for the tension in the Middle East. He perceives the gradual isolation of the Jews!

A theological position (too brief to be really called such)
God promised the land to “His” people of Israel. However, he promised a complete package: the land with the king of His choosing: the Messiah David/Jesus. When the Jews and/or Israel want, expect, demand, the land (which in the end even the UN may not grant them), without that king, they will have neither!
Of the many references I restrict myself to Jeremiah 30-31, a two-chapter-bloc standing out in the flow of Jeremiah’s messages.
- The verses 30:5-7 and 11b-15 indicate the “trouble for Jacob”, the utter oppression of the Jewish people; “none will be like it”; “I will discipline you”. No person in the world who knows God can ever claim that he has paid enough for his sins.
- The verses 30:3 and 9-11a indicate the return from exile of the people of Israel and the establishment in the land under “David their king”.
The rest of the two chapters elaborates on both themes: the complete isolation (30:14-14a); the great guilt (30: 14b-15); the restoration of the people and the city (30:17-20); God’s covenant love for his people (30:22-31:6). noot 3
- The section 31:31-34 then presents the basis for these promises, the new covenant with Israel, guaranteed by Jesus at the cross and empowered by the “writing it on their hearts” through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

What should we do?
“What are you going to do?” is a cry, a cry of growing despair. The Jews cried this in 1938, the Jews cried this throughout WWII. The Jews are crying it again.
“What are you going to do?” is also a question to be answered.
What could the Christian answer be?
- Reach all nations with the gospel (Matt 24:14), being a condition for the “end to come”.
- “Wash our clothes” and pray for Jesus to return soon (Rev 22:14,17)
These are two awesome tasks and conditions, for the church-at-large and for any single believer. The not meeting of this requirement so far is deeply discouraging for Messianic Jews, and should prevent any pride or self-righteousness on the side of Christians.
- Not theologise away the idea that Christians may be persecuted or Jews be chased out of their land, but be prepared for whatever comes, by loving Jesus and his Jews NOW, in the most practical way; that might well be the only way to be prepared for whatever comes. noot 4
- Understand that politics and faith was, is and more and more will be intertwined. That is the strength of Ahmadinejad and of the believing Jews, and it should be the unashamed strength of Christians. noot 5
- Love the Jews and protect and hide them, at any risk, as the only way to making them jealous, reversing in this ultimate way the Christian antisemitism!
- Allow the cry of Elijahu Ben Chaim: “What are you going to do?” to enter our hearts. Nobody can prevent what is going to happen, but God gave the Christians to the Jews in order to bless them, to bless them in their needs and in their utter rejection and isolation by the world, to speak tenderly to their hearts, even till they “have suffered double”.
Suddenly their mourning will turn into dancing. Suddenly their “David” will appear, in Jerusalem. Then this third millennium might become “the” millennium.


noot 1 Antisemitism generally posits that what purports to be criticism of Jews, Jewry and Israel by various individuals and world bodies, tantamount to demonization. An international resurgence of attacks on Jews and Jewish symbols, and an increased acceptance of antisemitic beliefs in public discourse, such demonization represents a new wave of antisemitism. There is an international debate going on whether post WWII antisemitism is “new” antisemitism. Terug
noot 2 For a report on the Evian 1938 conference see christianactionforisrael.org/antiholo/evian/evian.html Terug
noot 3 What bothers me is the section 31:15-16, about the mourning of children in Ramah; is another drama to be expected? Terug
noot 4No theology will suffice for what will come, no prophecy will give enough details. By simply practising obedience, care, forgiveness, longsuffering, we simply have to be prepared for whatever comes.Terug
noot 5 See the articles “ RE-MYTHOLOGISATION OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS?” Terug

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