IRISH SKEPTICAL OF ISRAELI MEMBERSHIP IN GROUPS AT

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000387

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC ELAB KIPR WIPO ILO
SUBJECT: IRISH SKEPTICAL OF ISRAELI MEMBERSHIP IN GROUPS AT
WIPO, ILO, UNEP, UN-HABITAT, AND CND

REF: STATE 35846


1. On March 31, Post delivered reftel talking points to
Julian Clare, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) First
Secretary for UN Affairs. Clare said that Ireland was

SIPDIS
skeptical of proposals for Israeli membership in WEOG groups
at UNEP, UN-HABITAT, and the CND, as well as Group B in WIPO
and the ILO's IMEC group. The GOI accepted Israel's
conditional membership in WEOG for electoral purposes in New
York, but did not view this arrangement as giving Israel
rights in respect to regional consultative bodies. The GOI,
moreover, believed it was crucial to maintain the distinction
between the technical/procedural aspects of WEOG arrangements
with Israel and the substantive/policy dimensions of
deliberations in such bodies. Clare observed that granting
Israel membership in groups at UNEP, UN-HABITAT, CND, WIPO,
and the ILO would create a precedent for the erosion of that
distinction. He also cited the GOI's view that the Asia
Group would be the better fit for Israel, notwithstanding the
history of difficulties with that possibility.


2. Clare said that Member State discussions on this issue
continued, though the prospects for a consolidated EU
position in response to USG demarches were uncertain.
Without being specific, he noted that a number of Member
States were predisposed to be helpful to Israel whenever
possible. He observed that Member States aimed to approach
the issue of membership in UN regional consultative groups in
a manner that would not signal hostility toward Israel. He
also commented that this issue "would be around for awhile"
and did not appear at the moment to be particularly divisive
among Member States.
BENTON