Oh Lord, not this again…

Oh Lord, not this again…

Oh Lord, not this again…

That he would continue to offer unfettered support of Israel in the face of Israel's blatant apartheid is astounding.

Having mulled this over for the past few weeks, I also find myself returning again and again to the same question: how much of my experience as the great-great-great granddaughter of four descendants of slaves is different from that of Obama's experience as someone who does not descend nor directly inherit the legacy of slavery?

My history is not Obama's history. I understand, having tirelessly researched my lineage, the struggle of my forefathers as their backs were broken down by the burden of slavery and apartheid. With this history flowing through my veins, I do think I could ever countenance any group of people living under apartheid. Indeed, I cannot fathom how I would ever been in a position of power and allow it to happen on my watch.

Perhaps more aptly, I could not, as a descendant of slaves, allow myself to be the tool of a white system that no sooner lifted its foot from my throat to place it solidly upon the throat of the Palestinians.

I understand that Obama is no descendant of slavery, he didn't inherit our history, but he is an African-American and the leader of the supposed free world, one would think that as a black man who has been treated as a second class citizen in the country he now governs, he would feel it his moral duty to force Israel to end the apartheid in Palestine. Then again, there are more Pro-Israel Jewish faces in his cabinet than black, so perhaps this was to be expected.

Of late, I find myself questioning Obama's mettle. I guess what I'm asking is not 'Is he African -American enough' but rather 'Is he black enough?'

Second, as was pointed out in the first comment, Durban I was not problematic even just because it hyperbolically criticized Israel to the exclusion of all else. It was flatly anti-Semitic. The Protocols were sold on the conference grounds, anti-Semitic cartoons (hook-nosed Jews controlling the world) were prominently displayed, there was even a flyer lamenting the failure of the Holocaust in wiping out Jews altogether. Ultimately, Jewish participants in the conference were effectively chased out. Whatever else it was for other people, for Jews this was a UN sponsored Klan rally. Even if it is mostly Jews asking that the US not participate, in a situation like this we're perfectly justified in doing so.

Third, the US tried the “we'll stay and fight against hyperbolic criticism” tactic. In Durban I, it failed dramatically, and we ended up leaving in protest half-way through. This time around, the US has been doing the same thing in the runup conferences, and regrettably found that we are being totally drowned out. It'd be worth staying and fighting if we had a chance to win. As it stands, there is virtually no hope this conference will produce anything productive, and all we're doing is ratifying the idea that naked anti-Semitic activity (not anti-Israel criticism — selling the Protocols of the Elders of Zion is not “anti-Israel) is within the proper realm of international discourse.

Fourth, I find this undertone that the US is only boycotting due to the nefarious Israel lobby to be quite pernicious. Four countries have announced they're not attending the conference so far: in order of announcement Canada, Israel, USA, and Italy, with France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK considering pulling out as well. Now, either the Israel Lobby controls all those nations (I never realized they were stronger in Canada than in the US), or there is something seriously amiss going on here that isn't just AIPAC paranoia.

Again, we are a nation of cowards.

'unfairly label'

NAW

It is straight up apartheid in Israel the way they treat Palestinian CITIZENS…

their policies are racist…and there is nothing unfairly labelled about it.

Poor Ambassador Susan Rice…she must be seething.

I agree with RonnieB, if they got racist ass policies just like we got racist policies than they got racist policies just like we got racist policies and that's the end of that. We're hiding behind Israel. The real problem is we don't to have our asses handed to us on an international platform like that.

If Israel has a few policies that are inherently racist, then so be it; they're no different than the U.S. in that regard. It's awfully hypocritical of us to strike a righteously indignant pose, when there are other countries who could easily point to racist policies of ours.

The purpose of these conferences is to tease out the racism within, and eliminate it. And if we don't go and participate, then it gives even more credence to AG Holder's criticism. If we can't face up to our own racism, then we are a nation of cowards.