[Karuna Shinsho, Cnn Anchor:] Sharp divisions on two key issues are polarizing delegates at the UN Conference on Racism, in South Africa. Today's meetings dealt mainly with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the question of reparations for the slave trade. For more on both issues, we go to Charlayne Hunter-Gault, in Durban Charlayne.
[Charlayne Hunter-gault, Cnn Correspondent:] Karuna, the conference here is still engaged over the language that many feel is inflammatory and offensive to Jews, Israel and the Israeli state. There is language saying that the Israelis have committed genocide against Palestinians and calling for a international war crimes tribunal. There are many delegates here that believe that this issue, while important, is overshadowing many other issues here, and it is taking up a lot of the energies of the conference. During a press conference last night, the Israelis complained bitterly about the language, and there were demonstrations outside of the press conference reminiscent of the demonstrations that have gone on from the beginning of the eight-day meeting, here in Durban. There are also other voices that are insisting on being heard, and those are voices both inside and outside this conference.
[Unidentified Male:] At one level, this is mere semantics and politics, but at another, very real level, it is more than that; it is very substantive, because it is those commas, those punctuation signs, and those words that will determine whether or not colonialization continues in the 21st century.
[Unidentified Female:] We have a better forum now to air abuse, to end positive. Watering down to the grass roots this means nothing. It's noble, the idea of it, but I feel sometimes that with international law, it's so hard to enforce, especially in countries that are really violating these basic human rights. You can't tell people, Listen, be nice to this person, you know? One person has to change, and in that change, you get the dominoes thing.
[Hunter-gault:] The conference has four more days to go. During this period, the official delegates will be doting Is, crossing Ts, and trying to come up with a some kind of consensus that will to lead to a plan of action to take into consideration all of the issues that have been hidden here, as well as those that have been out on the table Karuna.
[Shinsho:] Thank you, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, in Durban, South Africa. END TO ORDER VIDEOTAPES AND TRANSCRIPTS OF CNN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE THE SECURE ONLINE ORDER FROM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com