A/S SILVERBERG DISCUSSES UN AND IO ISSUES WITH DDG

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 001704 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF KWBG KPAL UNSC UNGA UNESCO, SU, IS SUBJECT: A/S SILVERBERG DISCUSSES UN AND IO ISSUES WITH DDG YA'AR Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones; Reasons 1.4 (B and D). ¶1. (C) Summary: IO A/S Kristen Silverberg discussed United Nations and other international organization issues with MFA Deputy Director General Roni Leshno-Ya'ar and his staff on June 7 in Jerusalem. The Israelis announced that they have begun quickly campaigning for a UNSC seat in 2019-20. Ya'ar called for a UNSC press statement condemning anti-Israeli remarks by the Iranian President, while other GOI officials outlined steps they are taking to focus UN attention on the human rights situation in Iran. Ya'ar and Silverberg discussed strategies for the Third Committee and Human Rights Council. The Israelis requested U.S. support on a number of UN funding, personnel, and resolution issues, as well as better integration in WEOG and JUSCANZ. Ya'ar described improved GOI-UNSCO relations and gave Israeli views on the UNSYG's staff. MFA staff requested additional U.S. support on the Mughrabi Gate issue. Ya'ar also revealed GOI strategies for dealing with Sudanese refugees and migrants, as well as a proposal to resolve the issue of Palestinian ambulances in Jerusalem. Lebanon and UNSCR 1701 issues are covered septel. End Summary. -------------- UNSC Issues: GOI Lobbying for 2019-20 -------------- ¶2. (C) Ya'ar said that the MFA had decided on June 6 to begin its lobbying efforts for a seat on the UNSC in 2019-20. This decision was in response to offers from India and Romania (and more indirectly Portugal) to trade support for their own UNSC candidacies. The MFA has since raised the issue with the UK as well. A/S Silverberg offered to assist GOI efforts when appropriate and urged the GOI to consider carefully each vote trade it was offered as some could backfire. -------------- Addressing Iranian Human Rights Issues -------------- ¶3. (C) Ya'ar deplored the recent statements by the Iranian President calling for the "destruction of the Zionist regime." The MFA has requested a UNSC press statement condemning Ahmadenijad's outburst, as there are no Iran proliferation issues under consideration at this time. A/S Silverberg agreed to support such a statement and said she would contact USUN to discuss the issue. She also provided an update on efforts to tighten and enhance sanctions against Iran as well as to expand the list of sanctioned entities. ¶4. (C) Ya'ar's staff described other steps the MFA is taking on Iran, including 1) a letter to the UNGA President outlining human rights violations and a request to distribute it under the "Culture for Peace" agenda item (an Iranian favorite); 2) discussions with Canada on possible Third Committee actions, such as a Special Rapporteur, an UNGA resolution, a visit to Iran by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and 3) action in the ILO. A/S Silverberg welcomed these ideas, stressing that a strong focus on human rights issues demonstrates that our concerns are with the regime and not the Iranian people. -------------- Other Human Rights Issues -------------- ¶5. (C) Ya'ar said that the GOI had not yet decided on how to deal with Third Committee issues. A/S Silverberg noted that the USG would work with its allies on a number of resolutions--including thematic ones in which tougher language is possible--but is also concentrating on side events. Human Rights Deputy Director Sandra Simovitch expressed concern that others would use amendments to thematic resolutions and separate side events to criticize Israeli actions in the Occupied Territories. ¶6. (C) Ya'ar asked if the USG would sign the declaration on women's rights circulated by the Swiss Foreign Minister. A/S Silverberg replied that although we supported much of its content, the USG could not sign up due to language on the ICC. Ya'ar said Israel would send a similar response. ¶7. (C) Ya'ar asked for USG views on a possible walk-out from the Human Rights Council if the HRC adopts a problematic agenda. A/S Silverberg replied that the USG would review this option, but would also look into a strong statement instead. Acting PolCouns Vrooman suggested side events to highlight specific human rights concerns absent from the agenda. Ya'ar reported that his South African counterpart had harshly criticized the GOI's refusal to allow Bishop Desmond Tutu to travel through Israel to investigate the Beit Hanoun incident in 2006. ¶8. (C) Noting that Hizballah had failed to provide a sign of life of the two soldiers abducted a year ago from inside Israel (and Gilad Shalit had last been heard from in September 2006),Ya'ar's staff requested USG assistance in maintaining focus on the POWs, which A/S Silverberg promised. -------------- Elections, UNGA, and Funding Issues -------------- ¶9. (C) Director for UN Political Affairs Roni Adam asked the USG not to disassociate itself from consensus when the issue of funding for the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) is raised in the Fifth Committee. Ya'ar urged the USG to help Abdalla Abbas, a Sudanese national serving as Habitat's coordinator for the Palestinians, who has been sensitive to GOI concerns but is short of financial resources. ¶10. (C) Ya'ar requested USG support for Israeli candidate to the International Center for the Study and Preservation of Cultural Property (ICCROM),as well as Israeli membership in the geology (IGCP) and hydrology (IHP) programs in UNESCO. He also asked that Israel be admitted to the Group of Industrialized Market Economies (IMEC) at the International Labor Organization (ILO). Ya'ar promised GOI support for U.S candidates in the ACABQ and WMO. ¶11. (SBU) Ya'ar urged the USG to assist in obtaining co-sponsors for the GOI-drafted resolution on "Agricultural Technology for Development" in the Second Committee during the upcoming UNGA. -------------- -------------- GOI Requests Additional Help with WEOG and JUSCANZ -------------- -------------- ¶12. (C) Ya'ar made the GOI's standard pitch for "full membership" in WEOG (and WEOG-like consultative groups). He claimed that the Portuguese had recently said that the GOI should not expect full membership because such a step would displease the Arabs. Ya'ar listed Israeli priorities as Group B at WIPO, UNEP, and UN-Habitat, noting that the GOI wants to formalize participation in WEOG in Nairobi. A/S Silverberg agreed to follow up. ¶13. (C) Ya'ar said that the Canadians were speaking to New Zealand about Israeli participation in JUSCANZ consultations and stressed that the GOI hoped to be included in time to participate in deliberations on the UNCCD general conference in September. A/S Silverberg noted that Australia was speaking to New Zealand as well. -------------- -------------- Improved Relations with UNSCO and GOI Views on UN Staff -------------- -------------- ¶14. (C) Ya'ar said that cooperation between UNSCO and Israel has improved recently, adding that the GOI "can live with" the UNSC's monthly review process on Middle East issues. The GOI believes that UNSCO positively influenced the UNSYG's statement marking the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Ya'ar said that only one sentence (referring to "Palestinian suffering") in that statement had been unacceptable in the absence of any mention of Israeli suffering due to terrorism. The GOI had filed a quiet protest and issued its own statement. Ya'ar described this reaction as part of GOI efforts to build strong ties with the new UNSYG and to avoid criticizing what they see as missteps as he learns the intricacies of Middle East issues. ¶15. (C) At the request of A/S Silverberg, Ya'ar described the GOI's views on the UNSYG's advisers: they strongly support Jill Sinclair and hope that she will be hired in New York; Stephane Dujarric is excellent; Michael Meyer and UNDPA's Lynn Pascoe are new; Vijay Nambiar is "not considered a positive player" but has limited influence; Andrew Gilmore has been very unhelpful; while U/SYG Jean-Marie Guehenno and HRC Louise Arbour are negative influences on Israeli issues. -------------- -------------- Additional USG Assistance Required on Mughrabi Gate -------------- -------------- ¶16. (C) International Organizations Director Orli Gil thanked the USG for its support on the Mughrabi Gate issue at UNESCO. She added that the Israeli UNESCO Ambassador and a group of GOI experts will attend the upcoming World Heritage Committee meeting in New Zealand and will require additional U.S. assistance. -------------- -------------- GOI Plan to Deal with Darfur Refugees and Sudanese Migrants -------------- -------------- ¶17. (C) According to Ya'ar, there are currently 550 Sudanese "infiltrators" inside Israel. 110 of these are "refugees" from Darfur, while most of the rest are long-time residents of Egypt the GOI considers to be economic migrants. Ya'ar said Prime Minister Olmert's office had agreed to: 1) grant some of the Darfur refugees status in Israel, but look to UNHCR, the USG, and others, for assistance with the rest; 2) make a voluntary contribution through the UN system to support Sudanese refugees in other countries; 3) appoint a special envoy and make a statement expressing concern for the plight of Sudanese refugees; and 4) urge the Egyptians to do more to interdict smuggling/trafficking routes through the Sinai. -------------- -------------- Israeli Proposal for PRCS Ambulances in Jerusalem -------------- -------------- ¶18. (C) A/PolCouns raised the issue of the agreement between Magen David Adom (MDA) and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to station Palestinian ambulances in Jerusalem. Ya'ar said the GOI would present a new proposal "within days" to allow two (and eventually more) Palestinian ambulances--licensed with Israeli plates and registered by the GOI, and crewed by Palestinians resident in Jerusalem--to operate within Jerusalem, but in no case between Jerusalem and the West Bank. PRCS would also need to register as a non-profit organization and/or find a "partner organization" to use a version of the PRCS name. He acknowledged that this proposal would not meet the Palestinians "full political needs," but argued that it is an acceptable compromise that the Palestinian representative could allow the ICRC to "force" upon him. Ya'ar mentioned that the GOI would work with the former Finnish foreign minister employed by ICRC to facilitate the talks. ¶19. (U) A/S-equivalent Roni Leshno-Ya'ar was joined by Director for UN Political Affairs Roni Adam, Deputy Director for UN Political Affairs Gershon Kedar, UN Political Affairs Desk Officer Livia Link, Director for International Organizations Orli Gil, Director of NGO Affairs Gil Haskall, Director for Syria-Lebanon Research (INR) Amir Weissbrod, Deputy Director for Human Rights Issues Sandra Simovitch, and a representative from the MFA's POW office. ¶20. (U) A/S Silverberg has cleared this cable. ********************************************* ******************** Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. ********************************************* ******************** JONES