The Battle of Durban II

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The 2009 Durban Review Conference, or Durban II, was a follow-up to the UN Human Rights Council's disastrous 2001 World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa, where Palestinian sympathizers denounced Israel as racist, and supporters of Israel charged the UN with "demonization" of Israel. But Durban II proved to be even more divisive than its predecessor, marked by a controversial speech by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and boycotted by Israel and the U.S., among several other countries. This important program examines how the longstanding conflict between Israel and Palestine dramatically disrupted two successive UN conferences - overshadowing discussions about human rights issues elsewhere - and the attempts to come to an official consensus amid protests and counter-protests. Featuring interviews with UN officials and representatives from Human Rights Watch, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and others, it presents a balanced look at the difficulties the UN faces in progressing towards peace worldwide.