ANTI-ISRAEL BODIES AT THE UN: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 005340

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP-HOTZ AND WHA/CAR-SEARBY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL IS DO UNGA
SUBJECT: ANTI-ISRAEL BODIES AT THE UN: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
RESPONSE

REF: STATE 220462


1. Embassy on December 7 delivered reftel talking points to
MFA UN director Michelle Cohen, emphasizing U.S.
disappointment over the Dominican Republic's change of its
vote from "abstain" in previous years to "yes" on the
resolution regarding the Division for Palestinian Rights.
Political officer also stressed the urgency of considering
the Dominican position for the scheduled December 8 vote on
the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices
Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and
Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, and urged the MFA to
instruct the Dominican mission in New York to vote "no."


2. Cohen requested a copy of the draft resolution, which
IO/UNP provided via fax (Embassy's thanks to Raymond Hotz for
his quick response). She undertook to study our request and
the resolution and seek an MFA decision before the vote.
Embassy was unable to confirm the outcome.


3. Cohen told us she had been "surprised" by the Dominican
"yes" vote on the Division for Palestinian Rights. She did
not know at what level the decision had been taken.
HERTELL