EU/NETHERLANDS/ISRAEL: SUPPORTING ISRAEL'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002870 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2014 TAGS: PREL AORC KIPR IS NL UNEP WIPO ILO EUN SUBJECT: EU/NETHERLANDS/ISRAEL: SUPPORTING ISRAEL'S MEMBERSHIP IN CONSULTATIVE GROUPS AT SELECTED UN AGENCIES REF: SECSTATE 235219 Classified By: Andrew Schofer, Political Counselor, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The EU has been discussing how Israel might participate in WEOG meetings outside New York, according to Pieter Ramaer (Head of Legal and Political Affairs, MFA UN Department). Speaking with Poloff about reftel on November 5, Ramaer said the recent CONUN meeting in Brussels considered Israel's lock-out from WEOG counsels beyond New York in the broader context of discussing how the new EU 10 member states should participate in UN regional groups. (Ramaer said that Estonia, for example, had at one time lobbied hard for a change from its Eastern European Group membership to WEOG; now, Estonia is happy to remain in "Eastern Europe" since her chances of election to UN bodies are greater there.) ¶2. (C) Ramaer revealed that the CONUN meetings discussed the possibility of setting up new, informal groupings in UN cities where WEOG members, and perhaps other "like minded" countries, could convene, in what would be an unofficial, non-WEOG format. Here, Israel could participate in substantive discussions that might take place while the EU could sidestep political problems. ¶3. (C) Poloff agreed to pass this idea on as one possible practical solution, while pointing out that the EU would seemingly sacrifice little political capital in the larger UN context by agreeing to extend straightforward WEOG participation rights to Israel beyond New York. Ramaer replied that it remained an internal EU problem, with some seeing broader Israeli WEOG participation as a slippery slope of general Israel membership in WEOG. Poloff countered that it was no secret that the USG supported Israel's meaningful participation in UN affairs, and if the Asia group (where Israel should belong) refused to admit Israel, then it was incumbent on another group to uphold UN principals. Israel had already been elected to positions in UN bodies, and it made no sense to exclude her from meaningful exercise of her privileges and duties. ¶4. (C) Finally, Poloff suggested that it might be timely for the EU, as an MEPP Quartet member, to support Israeli WEOG participation as a conciliatory gesture. It could reinforce Israel's appreciation of European bona fides in the MEPP. Ramaer agreed that this might be a timely and interesting avenue to pursue and that he would share the idea with EU partners. SOBEL