Anti-Israel protest (Archive photo)
Photo: AP
Anti-Zionism at Davos Conference
World Economic Forum booklet features malicious, hateful anti-Israel article
Hate in Switzerland: The few Israelis who arrived Tuesday at the Swiss ski-resort town of Davos to attend the World Economic Forum, an annual meeting of approximately 2,500 business leaders, were in for a bitter surprise: A scathing and malicious article blasting Israel was included in a special booklet handed out to all the conference's attendees.
The article calls on its readers to boycott Israel and compares Zionism to the most radical forms of racism.
The booklet, titled "Global Agenda," bears the logo of the World Economic Forum and includes an introduction written by the conference organizers. It appears to be an official publication of the World Economic Forum and is included in every file handed out to conference participants. It is also distributed at the Zurich Airport and at Swiss hotels.
The booklet includes an unusually harsh article written by Mazin Qumsiyeh, a lecturer at a number of American universities, titled "Boycott Israel."
The article includes an unequivocal call to establish a global movement against Zionism and a global movement against the "Israeli apartheid", as well as anti-Israeli, anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic remarks and threats, the likes of which are usually published in marginal magazines in the West or by radical Islamists.
'Colonialist, racist movement'
The writer claims that Zionism's goal is to wipe out the Palestinian people, that it is one of the worst colonialist and racist movements ever, and that the Zionists of today are pulling the strings and setting the policy of the U.S. government.
The same booklet contains dozens of articles by state leaders, economists, philosophers and CEO's with an international reputation, including articles by Russia's president, Pakistan's president and dozens of Jewish public figures, who were apparently unaware of the fact that they appear on Qumsiyeh's list.
Although the booklet notes that the articles reflect the opinions and views of their writers and not necessarily those of the publishers, none of the conference's participants were under the impression the forum did not give its approval and blessing to the publication.
Meanwhile, some Israelis who arrived at the conference on Tuesday expressed their outrage over the publication, but it is unclear whether they intend to take any steps in connection with the matter.
