Statement from Professor Klaus Schwab about Global Agenda magazine

With great concern and pain, I just learned that Global Agenda, a publication distributed to our members at the Annual Meeting 2006, contains an article calling for a boycott of Israel. This article is totally in contradiction to my own, and the Forum’s, mission and values. For 36 years I have been committed to fighting for mutual understanding in the world. The Forum has been deeply involved in the efforts to create better relations and reconciliation in the Middle East and throughout the world.

As soon as I learned about this article, I immediately investigated how this situation could have developed. I concluded there was an unacceptable failure in the editorial process, specifically an insufficiently short period for review of content – for which there is no excuse. I, on behalf of the Forum, profoundly apologize and express my regrets to everyone.

I can assure you that appropriate steps have been instituted to ensure that this will never happen again.

I would like to confirm to all our friends in the Middle East, and throughout the world, that the Forum will continue, under my leadership, to do everything possible to foster dialogue and open communication among all parties, based on mutual respect and recognition, and not on confrontation.

Klaus Schwab
Founder and Executive Director
World Economic Forum

Comments

[Sisyphos]

This was the only thing to do. Well done, Mr. Schwab. But this shows how much international conferences are an ideal target for antijewish hatred and abuses. This recalls me Durban. The harm is done I fear. This however stresses the importance of the fight against antijewish disinformation and propaganda which is daily "business as usual" in the Arab world.