DUTCH MFA ON US MIDEAST UNGA STRATEGY

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002748 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2013 TAGS: PREL KPAL IS NL UNSC SUBJECT: DUTCH MFA ON US MIDEAST UNGA STRATEGY REF: SECSTATE 305553 Classified By: Political Counselor Mary E. Daly for reasons 1.5 (b and d) ¶1. (C) On October 31, PolOff delivered reftel demarche on U.S. Mideast UNGA strategy to Pieter Ramaer, Head of the MFA's Political and Legal Affairs Division. Ramaer said "U.S. arguments are good," and the Dutch are in favor of ending or limiting those practices mentioned. However, Ramaer noted that consolidating a resolution is easier than abolishing entire divisions, sending staff home and cutting funding. According to Ramaer, "something has to be done to improve conditions on the ground," otherwise it will prove difficult to garner support for certain aspects of the U.S. strategy. Ramaer believes it will be difficult to end the mandate of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices, but said the EU "has never had much sympathy" for the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. He said he will discuss all reftel points with the Dutch delegation in New York, and that any decisions made would be within an EU framework. SOBEL