POLAND: DELIVERY OF DEMARCHE ON OPPOSING

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 002283 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2016 TAGS: UNGA PREL PL SUBJECT: POLAND: DELIVERY OF DEMARCHE ON OPPOSING ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS AT UNGA REF: STATE 178061 Classified By: POLCOUNS MARY T. CURTIN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) PolCouns October 24 delivered reftel demarche to Beata Baranska at the MFA's UN Division, stressing the importance of Poland continuing to abstain or possibly vote against three the three resolutions which would continue the mandate of institutions that are biased against Israel, and stressing our appreciation for Poland's close cooperation on these types of issues at the Human Rights Council as well as UNGA. Baranska said that the EU is just beginning to work on its common position on these three resolutions and others dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian issues. EU members met at the UN with Israeli and Palestinian delegations and will meet with the U.S. as well before it reaches its common position. She said the EU will, as guidelines for its position on these issues, take into account the September Quartet statement and the EU Common Position of October 17, which incorporates the Quartet statement. ¶2. (C) Baranska said Poland wants to see the number of such resolutions reduced, both because of their anti-Israel bias, and because it supports the broader institutional effort to reduce the number of redundant and overlapping mandates at the UN. Baranska added, however, that events of the past year and the situation on the ground will make it more difficult to defeat such resolutions at the UN this year, both because of the conflict in Lebanon and the electoral victory by Hamas. She said it is also unclear to her whether Palestinian negotiators will be Hamas or Abbas people, and that this could have an effect on negotiations. ¶3. (C) Comment: Baranska will be at the UNGA the week of October 30-November 3 to negotiate these and other resolutions. She strikes us as a knowledgeable interlocutor with whom we believe it would be useful for US Mission to be in contact. End Comment. HILLAS