PORTUGAL APPROACHED ON OPPOSING ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS

UNCLAS LISBON 002494

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNGA PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL APPROACHED ON OPPOSING ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS
AT UNGA

REF: STATE 178061


1. (U) On October 25, Pol/Econ officer met MFA International
Organizations Officer Jose Moura to outline concerns
regarding the ongoing anti-Israel bias in the UN and to
request that Portugal consider voting against measures 60/36,
60/37, and 60/104 when next considered. Moura agreed to
convey our concerns to Portugal's New York delegation but
could not comment about whether Portugal would be willing to
go from abstaining to voting against the three as requested.

2. (SBU) Comment: While Portugal has demonstrated a
willingness to tackle "new" conflict in the Middle East
including convoking a special EU session to discuss Lebanon,
the GOP is less willing to take the lead or to depart from EU
policy on more established issues, such as UN votes on
Israel. We will continue to press Portugal to consider
voting against the three measures but suspect that EU
consensus will win out. End comment.
O'Neal