Good news, we hope. The United Nations is holding a seminar on anti—Semitism, and apparently it will be different from the UN anti—Semitism seminar last in year in Durban, which was a hate—fest directed at Jews and Israel.  At least, so the UN promises, this time around.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports:

Secretary—General Kofi Annan will open the day—long session on Monday and his fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, will give the keynote address.

Three panels will then focus on anti—Semitism today, promoting tolerance through education and confronting anti—Semitism.

"We see this as an important event," Israel's deputy ambassador, Arye Mekel, said. "But the benchmark and test of the event will be if it will produce concrete results such as UN support for adopting a General Assembly resolution condemning anti—Semitism after efforts to do so failed last year."

Now that the UN may be entering a new phase in terms of anti—Semitism, others are pushing for a permanent exhibit on the Holocaust at UN HQ. Since the UN was founded partially in reaction to the world's failure to confront Hitler, this is a highly appropriate gesture. It might also do some good for the representatives of Saudia Arabia, Sudan, France, and other such states, to walk past the exhibit daily.

Posted by Thomas  06 19 04