U.N.- Sponsored Racism (042809) by J. F. Kelly, Jr.

A commentary by J. F. Kelly, Jr. The United Nations sponsored another one of those international conferences on racism recently. The gathering in Geneva lived down to the low expectations that the United States and most of the rest of the civilized world held for it. As anticipated, it turned into a hate-filled rant against Israel by Muslim nations which constitute the largest voting block in the General Assembly. It was itself an exercise in racism. The United States and a number of European nations boycotted this farce, knowing that it would provide a platform for sustained, one-sided verbal criticism of Israel. It went far beyond criticism. Iran’s clownish president, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad berated the United States and Europe for “making an entire nation (sic) suffer under the pretext of Jewish suffering during World War II”. By using the term nation, Mr. Ahmedinejad was presumably conferring honorary statehood on the Palestine Authority which has declined previous offers of statehood in favor of waging jihad against Israel. Ahmedinejad called Israel a cruel and racist regime. No surprise here from a chief of state who has denied the Holocaust and called for Israel to be wiped off the map and the Jews to be driven from the Middle East into the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the European leaders who did attend walked out during Mr. Ahmedinejad’s diatribe. Protesters, some dressed in clown wigs, threw red clown noses at him and called him the racist that he is. Israel’s hawkish new premier, Benjamin Netanyahu said “we will not allow the Holocaust deniers to carry out another Holocaust against the Jewish people,” adding that it was the “supreme duty of the state of Israel” to not allow it. The United States and other friends of Israel condemned Ahmedinejad’s remarks, of course, but that’s not nearly enough of a response. This nutcase, who wants to wipe out an entire nation and its citizens, is the same lunatic that the president of the United States would dignify by engaging in direct talks without preconditions. The liberal rationale for this magnanimous outreach is that nothing is lost by just talking. To the contrary; much is lost when the leader of the most powerful nation on earth agrees to confer on an equal basis and without preconditions with a fanatic who preaches racial hatred and parades weapons through the streets of Tehran labeled “Destination Israel.” It confers legitimacy and rewards bad behavior. And what, pray, would they talk about? Whether or not the destruction of Israel was negotiable? Can’t you just imagine the conversation? Obama: “Mahmoud, you need to tone down the rhetoric about wiping out Israel and killing Jews.” Ahmedinejad: “Let me check with my mullahs and get back to you on that one, Barack.” In this age of political correctness, it defies understanding that the world tolerates such blatant racism. Where is the outrage, for example, on American university campuses, those bastions of anti-racism and political correctness, where anti-Israel sentiment now often reaches the level of anti-Semitism? Why do diplomats and journalists rationalize Ahmedinejad’s vitriol by saying he is only playing to his audience back home in anticipation of coming elections? Does that excuse hate speech? And why do our diplomats reflexively repeat that tired old refrain that the only way to peace in the Middle East is a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Are they serious? Notwithstanding the fact that the Palestinians have already declined an independent state offer in the past predicated only on the condition that Israel be allowed to live in peace, why should the Israelis now suddenly agree to the creation of another hostile Muslim state in its midst? Look at what happened in Gaza which the Israelis turned over without conditions, forcibly evicting its settlers in the process. Rockets are still raining on Israeli towns from Gaza. Enough. We should not pressure Israel into any negotiations or further concessions until the Palestinians are willing to formally, not just tacitly, accept Israel’s absolute right to exist in peace Meanwhile, why do we continue to support an organization that sponsors hate rallies like the conference on racism which Pope Benedict XVI reportedly endorsed as an “important incentive to fight racism”? The United States provides more funding to the United Nations than all of the other 177 member nations combined and we host its headquarters on our soil. What do we get out this? Virtually nothing of value. Tinhorn dictators, despots and racists, on the other hand, get a forum for spewing hatred. It is long past time to consider whether our investment in the “world body” is consistent with American values or is, in fact, inimical to them. Copyright 2009 by J. F. Kelly, Jr. Dr. Kelly is a retired Navy Captain and bank senior vice-president. A veteran of over thirty years of naval service, he commanded three ships and the Navy Personnel Research and Development Center in San Diego. He joined Great American Bank in 1983, serving first as Training and Development Director and later as Director of Human Resources. He retired from the bank in 1994 and has since devoted his efforts to community services. He served as foreman of the San Diego County Grand Jury in 1997-1998, president of the Lions Club of San Diego, the San Diego Council of the Navy League of the United States, the Lions Foundation, the Boys and Girls Foundation, Vice-president of the City of San Diego Salary setting commission and as chairman of the Business Council of the San Diego County Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Task Force. He currently serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Foundation and the Coronado Roundtable. He currently teaches ship handling, seamanship and navigation at the Naval Base, San Diego. A freelance writer, his weekly column on current events appears in the California Republic, the Coronado EagleJournal, eCoronado.com and other publications. Dr. Kelly has degrees in education, management and leadership including a doctor of education degree from the University of San Diego. He and his wife, the former Charlane Hughes, reside in Coronado.