(C) USUNESCO: CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION,

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 006547

SIPDIS

FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2015
TAGS: SCUL ETRD EU UNESCO
SUBJECT: (C) USUNESCO: CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION,
FRANCE APPLIES PRESSURE TO ISRAEL

REF: (a) Paris 4145, b) Paris 6376 (NOTAL),c) State 170909

Classified by Ambassador Louise Oliver, reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) At the final negotiating session in Paris on the
draft cultural diversity convention, Israel was one of the
few countries to stick with the US. (Ref A)


2. (C) On Thursday, newly arrived Israeli Ambassador to
UNESCO David Kornbluth gave Ambassador Oliver a read-out of
his courtesy call on French Cultural Minister Donnedieu de
Vabres. According to Kornbluth, as he was leaving, the
minister asked him what was Israel's problem with the
convention.


3. (C) Kornbluth answered that the draft is too
protectionist, presents potential conflicts with the WTO and
needs more time. In response, Donnediu de Vabres asked a
second time why Israel was standing with the US, was it
simply to stick with the US or did Israel have real
substantive objections to the text? Kornbluth repeated his
comments on the text and that Israel would continue to stand
by the US. He also reports that the minister was visibly
annoyed by Kornbluth's comment about the US.


4. (C) Kornbluth has reported his meeting to Jerusalem and
the Israeli government is currently reevaluating. He
believes his government will not change its policy. He also
suggested that a high level demarche to Jerusalem might be a
good idea.


5. (C) Comment: As we reported ref b, this is the second
time that the French have put pressure on the Israelis. It
is once again clear that when it comes to the cultural
diversity convention, the US is clearly France's target.
Pressure will need to be applied to the Israeli government
to make sure it stays firm.

OLIVER