PALESTINIAN UNGA RESOLUTION: ITALY DID ALL IT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001814 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2014 TAGS: KPAL IS IT PRELS UNGA SUBJECT: PALESTINIAN UNGA RESOLUTION: ITALY DID ALL IT COULD TO OPPOSE REF: A. USUN 1061 ¶B. ROME 1757 CLASSIFIED BY: POL M/C TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN LUCA FERRARI TOLD POL M/C ON MAY 6 THAT ITALY HAD DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO CONVINCE OTHER EU MEMBERS TO OPPOSE THE PALESTINIAN RESOLUTION IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. ACCORDING TO FERRARI, THE ITALIAN UN PERMREP PUBLICLY DENOUNCED THE RESOLUTION PRIOR TO THE VOTE, AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY BERATED BY OTHER EU MEMBERS IN NEW YORK FOR AIRING ITS VIEWS ON AN ISSUE THAT WAS STILL UNDER DEBATE IN THE EU COMMITTEE. FERRARI WAS UPSET THAT THE UK AND GERMAN REPRESENTATIVES REMAINED SILENT WHILE THE OTHER MEMBERS "DUMPED ALL OVER" ITALY. GERMANY AND THE UK, HE SAID, AGREED TO VOTE IN FAVOR AFTER THE UK SUBMITTED AMENDMENTS THAT WERE PRESENTED BY IRELAND AND ACCEPTED BY THE PALESTINIAN DELEGATION. IN THE END, AFTER DELAYING A GA VOTE TO SEEK FM FRATTINI'S APPROVAL, ITALY VOTED WITH THE EU IN FAVOR OF THE RESOLUTION, BUT ONLY BECAUSE THE AMENDMENTS LEFT IT WITH NO PRACTICAL EFFECTS ON THE PALESTINIAN OBSERVER'S STATUS. FERRARI WAS ANXIOUS TO LET THE USG KNOW THAT ITALY REMAINED OPPOSED TO THE RESOLUTION FOR REASONS CITED IN REF B AND HAD TRIED ITS BEST TO SUPPORT THE US POSITION. VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M SEMBLER NNNN 2004ROME01814 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL