Europe threatens UN conference boycott over Ahmadinejad speech

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Source: The Guardian

Germany, Poland and Netherlands to stay away from Geneva racism meeting amid fear of anti-Semitic language
Julian Borger in Geneva
guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 April 2009 12.46 BST

Europe was split today over whether to attend a UN conference on racism, to be addressed this afternoon by the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, amid fears he and other delegates could ignite a new row over the Holocaust or Israel's right to exist.

Last night it emerged that Germany, Poland and the Netherlands would join a boycott led by the US and Israel. France and Britain are attending but have said they will walk out of the conference in Geneva if offensive language is used at the podium.

France's foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, said: "We will not tolerate any blunder or provocation" from Ahmadinejad, who has referred to the Holocaust as a myth and called for Israel to be "wiped off the pages of history".

The Iranian president, the only head of state at the conference, is due to deliver a speech and give a press conference this afternoon, which coincides with the start of Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day.

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Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/20/un-conference-boycott-ahmadinejad

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Sweden, Italy, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are also boycottinng the conference.