AUSTRALIA RESPONDS UNGA RESOLUTIONS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 001180 SENSITIVE NOFORN SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP ANDREW MORRISON AND EAP/ANP E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2018 TAGS: PREL UNGA AS SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA RESPONDS UNGA RESOLUTIONS WITH ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS REF: STATE 123081 Classified By: Acting Political Counselor John W. Crowley for reasons 1 .4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C/NF) Justin Whyatt, Director, Middle East Section, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) informed Poloff that the GOA would likely not vote differently than in the past on reftel resolutions. He advised that voting recommendations would be shared with the US UN Mission once approved by the FM. He observed that Australia has already voted No to the resolution on the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Terrorities. He further observed that many of the resolutions related to the Middle East have been presented annually since the 1980's and that it is unlikely they will stop being proposed. While he wished there were fewer in number, Whyatt indicated that Australia continues to review each resolution individually. He also reiterated Australia's support for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. MCCALLUM