Durban Conference 2: Brish delegates walk out
20 April 2009
Denis MacShane MP, former Foreign Office minister, has welcomed the walk out of the UK ambassador at the UN conference in Geneva after Iran's president started ranting against Jews and Israel. The protest was ordered by Foreign Secretary David Miliband after Macshane urged the UK to make clear the UN should not be used as a platform for antisemitic attacks on Israel's right to exist. Other democratic and EU ambassadors and delegations also walked out in protest at the abuse of the UN conference by President Ahmadinejad to repeat his hate of Jews and Israel. "David Miliband and other EU foreign ministers have demonstrated to the world that the UN cannot be used to promote antisemitic hate. UN officials now have to stop extremists trying to hijack the UN to preach hate against the right of Jews to live in Israel. This must be a turning point to promote anti-racism and not anti-semitism," said MacShane.