DEMARCHE DELIVERED: ISRAEL AT UNGA

UNCLAS NASSAU 001663 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR RCBUDDEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL BF UNGA SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: ISRAEL AT UNGA REF: STATE 178061 ¶1. DCM delivered reftel talking points to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Acting Permanent Secretary Marilyn Zonicle October 27. Zonicle acknowledged the U.S. points without significant comment, and promised to forward them to The Bahamas UN PermRep. ¶2. COMMENT: The Bahamas generally follows the CARICOM and NAM on Middle East issues. In the wake of Israeli-Hezbollah hostilities in southern Lebanon this year, Post doubts The Bahamas will be willing to shift from its past support for renewing the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the resolution renewing the Division for Palestinian Rights unless significant inroads are made against the general UN consensus on these issues. We have nevertheless urged the Bahamas at least to abstain, as it did last year, on the resolution to renew the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories. END COMMENT. ROOD