Jewish leader urges Austria to boycott Durban commemoration

Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center has urged Austria to boycott a United Nations meeting commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa. Cooper described the original conference as anti-Israel and antisemitic, stating, "Durban was not merely an unfortunate episode 25 years ago. It became a watershed moment in the international demonization of Israel." He expressed concern over Austria's intention to attend the September 28 meeting, especially after Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen accused Israel of "violations of international law" and "war crimes." Austria had previously boycotted the 20th-anniversary meeting in 2021, and Cooper called on the chancellor to instruct Austria's U.N. representative not to participate in the 2026 commemoration.