159. Telegram From the Department of State to All Diplomatic and Consular Posts1
204786. Subject: World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, Geneva, August 14–25, 1978.
1. ASAP after receipt of this telegram, Ambassador or Charge should, at his discretion, deliver aide memoire along following lines to the Foreign Minister or most appropriate senior Foreign Ministry official:
“The World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, convened by the United Nations General Assembly, will meet in Geneva August 14–25. The United States will not participate in this Conference. Our decision not to participate was reluctantly taken, but we had no choice in view of our total and firm opposition to the action taken by the United Nations General Assembly on November 10, 1975, determining that ‘Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.’2 The Assembly adopted this resolution notwithstanding the fact [Page 517] that the Jewish people embrace many races and colors and themselves uniquely suffered from the evils of racism. More than any other action, this decision served to shake the faith in and support for the United Nations on the part of the American people. Our Congress, in particular, unanimously adopted a resolution requesting that all U.S. participation in the Decade Against Racism cease until the link between Zionism and racism and the Decade was severed.
“The United States Government wholeheartedly supports the unrelenting efforts being made by United Nations organs to combat the evils of racism and racial discrimination as these terms were understood when the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination was launched in 1973. We earnestly hope that these crucially important efforts in the struggle to promote human rights will not be upset or diverted by decisions taken at the World Conference. Therefore, on the eve of the opening of the Conference, the United States Government appeals to your government to use its influence in order to prevent any action by the Conference which either explicitly reaffirms the Zionism-racism decision or could be understood as having such an effect. This appeal rests upon the firm conviction that the resurgence of the Zionism-racism decision at the World Conference will not only grossly undermine United Nations efforts to cope with the serious problems of racism and racial discrimination which exist throughout the world, but will further seriously shake the confidence which the American people, and people of good will everywhere, have in the United Nations organization as an instrument for the establishment of peace based upon justice for all people. It comes, however, when strong efforts are being made to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East.”
2. For EC–9 posts: EC post capitals all strongly opposed the GA’s decision on Zionism-racism. However, in intervening period Africans succeeded in subsequent GA resolutions in watering down references to Zionism-racism to indirect mention of “relevant resolutions.” This permitted Arabs to say relevant resolutions meant Z–R and for Europeans to say it did not. Europeans have thus continued to participate in activities of the Decade such as the upcoming World Conference by interpreting indirect references as sufficient to break the linkage while U.S. and Israel have insisted that Z–R resolution be specifically repudiated. At recent Havana and Belgrade meetings of NAM, however, the NAM endorsed direct reference to Z–R and urged that it be raised at the World Conference Against Racism. EC participants are therefore faced with possibility of reaffirmation of the 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism by direct reference and capitals should be made aware of the need to develop a strategy to prevent such explicit reference.
[Page 518]3. In delivering foregoing message to the Foreign Minister, you should accompany your delivery by expressing the hope that the delegation of host government will make known to the key African participants at the World Conference, who are likely to be most desirous of avoiding a reemergence of the Zionism-racism issue at the Conference, that any action taken by the Conference to reaffirm the Zionism-racism decision will create serious problems for the Conference. We would hope the WEO countries will make it clear they are prepared for a walkout if necessary to forestall any explicit reaffirmation of the Zionism-racism decision.
4. You may have noted that the German Chairman of the European Community at the Conference and the Italian Chairman of the WEO caucus have informed us, that on behalf of the EC–9 and the WEO group, they have told the ranking Secretariat official at the Conference that “the participation of the European Community in the Conference is based on its ‘old program’ and that any introduction of elements causing Zionism and racism to be related could only have a destructive impact on their participation in the Conference.” We greatly appreciate the firm line that Geneva representatives are taking and hope that explicit instructions from capitals will back up this strong position.
5. For Amman, Cairo, Jidda, Rabat, Algiers, Tunis, Khartoum, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Manama, and Tel Aviv. Separate instructions have been sent to you for action.3 This message is for information only.
6. For Damascus and Tripoli: This message is for your information only as we anticipate host governments will co-sponsor effort to inject Zionism-racism issue into World Conference.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D780330–0994. Confidential; Immediate. Drafted by Hewitt; cleared by Maynes and Dailey and for information by Harris, Cheshes, Goot, Lister, and Veliotes; approved by Newsom.↩
- See footnote 5, Document 149 .↩
- Not further identified.↩