World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder to Address Conference to Confront "The Anti-Semitic Hatred of Durban III"

NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ronald S. Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress, today announced that he will be joining former New York City Mayor Edward I. Koch, Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, former UN Ambassador John Bolton, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and others, in speaking at a one day conference on September 22nd being hosted by the Hudson Institute and the Touro College Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust at a program that confronts "Durban III," a UN sponsored conference that has become a platform for venomous anti-Semitism and those who seek the destruction of Israel.

A former Ambassador to Austria, Lauder stated, "Enemies of Israel have realized that they cannot defeat her on the battlefield. Instead, they have created a strategy that seeks to slowly but deliberately isolate her diplomatically. Durban III is but one example of that strategy. The so- called Gaza Boat Flotilla was yet another chapter, as are current efforts now underway by Iran and other enemies of peace to seek  UN approval of unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state. These are all parts of a dangerous ploy. One needs only look at this larger issue and you can see how important it is to confront forcefully Durban III."

"Durban III" will be held in Manhattan within days of the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America. Its organizers point out it is meant to "commemorate" the first Durban conference convened a decade ago in South Africa in 2001 where it charged Israel with racism. It prompted an immediate walkout by the United States and Israel, as it became obvious that the conference had been hijacked by anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist forces.

"It is difficult to imagine a more cynical, calculated attack on Israel's integrity than these Durban conferences," continued Lauder. "I will be joined on the dais by colleagues who represent a broad geo-political spectrum, united as one for the single purpose of confronting this sham. We will do so at a time when Iran's Ahmadinejad will be addressing the United Nations, filling its chamber with the rantings of an anti-Semite intent on acquiring nuclear weapons and Middle East hegemony. How could we not attend this conference and live with our conscience?"

About Ronald S. Lauder

Mr. Lauder is an international philanthropist, public servant and President of the World Jewish Congress.

Mr. Lauder was appointed Ambassador to Austria by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. Upon his return from Vienna, he established the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, which supports Jewish schools, camps and community centers in many countries in Eastern Europe. He also created an International Student Exchange Program between Jewish high school students in New York City and Vienna.

In February of 1999, he was elected Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.  His selection by the Conference followed his election in 1997 as President of the Jewish National Fund. He is the Chairman of the International Public Committee of the World Jewish Restitution Organization and in June, 2007, Mr. Lauder was elected to lead the World Jewish Congress.

Mr. Lauder created the Central European Media Enterprises, Ltd. which is the leading commercial television company in Central and Eastern Europe. He is Chairman of Clinique Laboratories, a division of the Estee Lauder Companies, Inc.

About the Hosts:

Hudson Institute is a nonpartisan policy research organization dedicated to innovative research and analysis. Founded in 1961, Hudson is celebrating a half century of forging ideas that promote security, prosperity, and freedom. http://www.hudson.org

The Touro College Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust aims to understand and evaluate contemporary mechanisms for protecting human rights and the rule of law in view of the lessons of the Holocaust and its aftermath. http://www.touro.edu/ihrh  

SOURCE Hudson Institute