BAHRAIN: OIC ISRAEL BOYCOTT MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000381 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP STATE PASS USTR - J BUNTIN COMMERCE FOR ITA/MAC/AMESA - T HOFFMAN ALSO FOR BIS - F DAVIDSON, C RYAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2016 TAGS: PREL ETTC ETRD KISL BA REGION ECTRD SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: OIC ISRAEL BOYCOTT MEETING REF: STATE 39165 Classified by DCM Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). (C) Pol/Econ Chief March 11 delivered reftel demarche concerning the OIC meeting on the boycott of Israel to MFA Director for Bilateral Affairs Dhafer Al Umran. After telephoning several offices within the MFA in P/E Chief's presence, Al Umran reported that Bahrain would not attend the meeting. He said the OIC had invited Bahrain but, when Bahrain declined to attend, the OIC pulled the invitation, saying Bahrain should not have been invited because it has no Israel boycott office and so has no reason to be at the meeting. MONROE