Day Three of the Durban Review Conference

At this point, there is less time left here than more time left here. I am writing to you about the events of yesterday. I sat in on two more committee meetings, these put on by the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, on combating racial discrimination and on freedom of expression and the incitement to racial or religious hatred. Both were uneventful. The latter I thought would be fruitful, especially because the new Document modified the proposed "defamation of religion" to "prohibit incitement of hate." A chance to hear real data, policy, history, and opinion on the issues. A lot of statements from committee members, two groups of eight questions taken in groups to control discussion from the floor of over one hundred participants.

I have learned that diplomacy is discreet and convert at times. What a diplomat says in private can be the complete opposite of what is said in public.

I was part of an intimate meeting of 18 young Jewish adults with Alan Dershowitz. He explained the need to connect with moderate Arabs and re-claim conversation. He re-iterated something we've been hearing a lot; that Switzerland is no friend of the US or a worthy intermediary as previously preformed. How can the country's leader extend a warm, friendly hand to Ahmadinejad and host him for dinner? Public, private, private, public; it is all a bit confusing.

I did participate in the most interesting meeting so far. It wasn't put on by a UN committee or a NGO. It was born from one of my fellow delegates chatting with three Palestinian Israelis. He invited them to sit down with an equal number of us for a polite conversation with specific boundaries of just issues within Israel.

We sat down with only one brave Palestinian. Mr. Zeidan represents the Arab Assoc. for Human Rights. Brave because the others conveniently became "busy." His 20 year old organization deals with issues only relating to Israeli Palestinians. They represent about 20% of Israel's population. We had a civil conversation about the civil society topics important today there within Israel as we defined it (not West Bank and Gaza).

We discussed his views on Israeli citizenship and some of the discriminations he perceives. He says Israeli Palestinians would rather stay within Israel, regardless of a one or two state solution. We talked Israeli national politics, Lieberman, and we talked about Alan Dershowitz. We were able to refine some views of ours and his that were misunderstandings. Real work and knowledge gleaned from a causal but calculated conversation lasting one hour. I'm a diplomat!

It is interesting to note that the Palestinian delegation walked out on the little man's speech Monday. Quoted as saying the speech, was "inconvenient," it does make a statement about the delegation's focus. Others and Brothers not in Geneva may not share the delegation's principals. There sure still are Others and Brothers here walking the halls of the UN that do not share the delegation's views.

A meeting was just added. "Un-silenced Voices of Victims - Case: Palestine." I will be there and I'll tell you want I say.

Meetings with many diplomats today. Swiss, Lithuania, Turkey, Denmark, Argentina as well as the Israeli Ambassador. More tomorrow, the last day.

Thanks for reading. I hope you find it interesting.