ITALIANS STILL OPPOSED TO PALESTINIAN UNGA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001757 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2014 TAGS: KPAL IS IT PRELS UNGA SUBJECT: ITALIANS STILL OPPOSED TO PALESTINIAN UNGA RESOLUTION REF: A. STATE 99626 ¶B. ROME 1656 ¶C. ROME 1707 CLASSIFIED BY: POL M/C TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. ITALY REMAINS OPPOSED TO THE UN PALESTINIAN OBSERVER'S RESOLUTION REGARDING MISSION STATUS AND CONTINUES WORKING TO CONVINCE ITS EU PARTNERS NOT EVEN TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE PALESTINIANS. SOME EU MEMBERS, HOWEVER, VIEW THE NEW VERSION MORE FAVORABLY. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) POLOFF DELIVERED REFTEL DEMARCHE TO MFA ACTING OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN LUCA FRATINI. FRATINI SAID THAT ITALY HAD AGAIN INSTRUCTED ITS MISSION TO THE UN TO OPPOSE THE RESOLUTION. HE CONCEDED, HOWEVER, THAT EU RESOLVE TO OPPOSE IT IS WEAKENING. ITALY'S PERMREP IN NEW YORK, SPATAFORA, TOLD THE MFA THAT A NUMBER OF EU MISSION CHIEFS ARE READY TO GIVE IN IF THE PALESTINIANS MAKE A FEW MORE CHANGES TO THE RESOLUTION. ¶3. (C) FRATINI REITERATED THE ITALIAN POSITIONS THAT THIS ISSUE DOES NOT BELONG IN THE UN, THAT ALL PARTIES INVOLVED SHOULD FOCUS ON IMPLEMENTING THE ROAD MAP, AND THAT THE RESOLUTION IS FLAWED FROM A LEGAL POINT OF VIEW. HE SAID THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT AGREES COMPLETELY THAT THE RESOLUTION IS INAPPROPRIATE AND ILL-TIMED, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE MAY 4 QUARTET EXPLICITLY RECOGNIZED THAT FINAL STATUS MUST BE DETERMINED BY THE ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS AND THAT THE ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM GAZA MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH THE ROAD MAP. THE RESOLUTION, HE COMMENTED, SERVED ONLY TO "DIRTY THE WATERS." ¶4. (C) FRATINI'S OFFICE HAD ADVISED FM FRATTINI OF ITALY'S OPPOSITION TO THE RESOLUTION AND THE MINISTER REPORTEDLY AGREED THAT IT IS COMPLETELY WITHOUT ANY FOUNDATION. FRATTINI, WHO MET WITH PALESTINIAN FM NABIL SHAATH IN ROME ON MAY 5, URGED THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY TO TAKE MORE ACTION IN THE FIELDS OF ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REFORMS IN ORDER TO PREVENT FURTHER VIOLENCE. ACCORDING TO MFA PRESS STATEMENTS, THE TWO WELCOMED THE DECISION OF THE MAY 4 QUARTET, WHICH VALIDATED THE ROAD MAP AS THE ONLY MEANS TO ACHIEVE A LASTING PEACE AND STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF AN EU ROLE IN THE PROCESS, ESPECIALLY CONCERNING FUTURE MONITORING ACTIVITIES. VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M SEMBLER