Zionist Grip on 'Western Democracies'

SENIOR Israeli diplomat Dan Gillerman has urged Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd not to send a delegation to a United Nations forum on racism, saying it will be used as a platform to bash Israel.

In an interview with The Age, Mr Gillerman, who was Israel's ambassador to the United Nations from 2003 until September last year, also strongly rejected calls for war crimes investigations against Israeli commanders involved in the recent Gaza offensive.

Speaking from his office in Tel Aviv ahead of a scheduled visit to Australia at the end of the month, Mr Gillerman said the 2009 UN World Conference Against Racism, also known as "Durban II", to be held in Geneva in April, was a charade.

"Keep away from Durban," Mr Gillerman said.

"Countries like Australia who, to my mind, represents the best of what democracy and civilisation can be, shouldn't take part in this charade."

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni announced in November that Israel would boycott the conference because "it was turning once again into an anti-Israeli tribunal".

Last month Canada announced that it was also boycotting the conference.

France, Britain and the Netherlands may also pull out, while the United States is still considering whether to reverse the Bush administration's decision not to attend. More

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