Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PARIS400
2008-03-05 15:43:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

FRENCH RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON SEEKING BALANCED

Tags:  PREL KPAL FR IS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6100
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHFR #0400 0651543
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 051543Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2169
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI PRIORITY 0112
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000400 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2013
TAGS: PREL KPAL FR IS
SUBJECT: FRENCH RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON SEEKING BALANCED
UNSC RESOLUTION ON THE SITUATION IN GAZA

REF: STATE 22380

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah Roxenblatt for reaso
ns 1.4. (b),(d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000400

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2013
TAGS: PREL KPAL FR IS
SUBJECT: FRENCH RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON SEEKING BALANCED
UNSC RESOLUTION ON THE SITUATION IN GAZA

REF: STATE 22380

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah Roxenblatt for reaso
ns 1.4. (b),(d).


1. (C) We conveyed points in reftel to the NEA and IO
directorates at the French MFA on March 5. DAS-equivalent
for the Levant Ludovic Pouille responded that France was "in
accord" with us on the substance (Hamas' fundamental
responsibility for the current situation and the importance
of not derailing the peace process) but not with our
"diagnosis" of the situation. As he put it, if firing the
rockets is unjustifiable and subject to condemnation,
Israel's use of disproportionate and excessive force in
response (leading to the death of 23 children and 12 women in
recent days) had to be acknowledged. Pouille claimed that
France, the EU, and the U.S. had already denounced Israel's
reaction in these terms.


2. (C) IO desk officer for the Middle East Salina Grenet,
meanwhile, noted that the MFA had already received cables
from Washington and New York reporting our concerns about the
French amendment. She stressed that the GOF was fully in
agreement on our point regarding the timing of any UNSC
action, i.e., that the UNSC should not move too quickly on
the resolution out of concern that might upset the
Secretary's diplomatic efforts in the region. Grenet said

SIPDIS
that the UNSC must allow these diplomatic efforts to play out
fully. Like Pouille, however, Grenet claimed that the
reference to Israel's "disproportionate and excessive use of
force" merely repeated the UNSYG's description and was
consistent with French and EU public characterizations.
France believes it essential that the resolution clearly
refer to the rockets as well as Israel's military response
(something Grenet claimed the Libyans rejected) and had
proposed two operative paragraphs that would separately treat
Hamas' firing of the rockets and Israel's use of force. She
said France was waiting for the Libyan reaction to all the
proposed changes. The instructions to the French mission in
New York for its representatives at the March 5 experts
meeting would be to (1) oppose any pressure for quick action
on the resolution while the Secretary was in the region and
(2) weigh carefully the various reactions (especially what
the Libyans report following consultations with the Arab
group) to the draft in play.


3. (C) Grenet, speaking personally, thought that the U.S.
and France could come to some agreement on the wording,
especially if "disproportionate" was one of our major
sticking points. She was less tractable, however, with
respect to the word "excessive" in describing Israel's use of
force.


4. (SBU) We have not been able to find any recent French
statements on the situation in Gaza that use the words
"disproportionate" or "excessive" in describing Israel's use
of force. The MFA's spokesperson since February 29 has
balanced criticism of Israel's military actions (including
condemnation of "the practice of extrajudicial killing" and
appeals for restraint) with calls for "a complete end to
rocket fire by Palestinian factions against Israeli
territory." She has similarly deplored the deaths of
Palestinian children from Israeli military operations as well
as the deaths of Israelis due to Palestinian rockets. France
has generally stressed that all violence must cease and that
there can be no military solution to the situation. FM
Kouchner underscored these points in an interview on 3 March
before reaffirming the necessity of resuming
Palestinian/Israeli negotiations. He further restated
France's commitment to a two-state solution and pursuit of
the diplomatic process launched at Annapolis.


5. (U) Tripoli minimize considered.

Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm


STAPLETON