In the wake of the US decision to disengage from the UN conference in Geneva which insists on billing itself as a pow-wow against “racism,” other countries are beginning to follow suit.

Italy has bowed out, citing the draft declaration “filled with aggressive and antisemitic statements.” Rumors abound that The Netherlands, the UK and Denmark may be next. Even Germany - understandably reluctant to snub anything which is formally presented as challenging racism - has confessed to being undecided. On Wednesday, Christian Democratic Union MP Kristina Köhler declared, “Germany must boycott this anti-Semitic and anti-Western spectacle. Either together with its EU partners, or if necessary alone. We are not the fig leaf for Iran’s Islamist and anti-Semitic activities.”

Elie Wiesel has it exactly right: “If these resolutions are not altered and corrected, the UN, and not Israel, will leave the conference damaged and ridiculed. The passing of such resolutions will debase the ideal that the global organization seeks to represent to the very lowest level.”

There are still seven weeks to go before the conference convenes. Salvage or collapse? That’s the question. We’ll be watching closely.