UNESCO: GOI REQUESTS URGENT CONSULTATIONS TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 002581 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018 TAGS: PREL UNESCO EG IS SUBJECT: UNESCO: GOI REQUESTS URGENT CONSULTATIONS TO FORESTALL FAROUK HOSNI'S BID TO BE NEXT DG REF: PARIS 877 Classified By: Deputy PolCouns Peter Vrooman for reasons 1.4 (B/D). ¶1. (C) MFA Director for International Organizations Tibor Shalev-Schlosser approached poloff on the margins of an unrelated meeting to convey what he called an urgent message about the candidacy of Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni to be the next Director-General of UNESCO. According to Shalev-Schlosser, Egypt's diplomatic efforts to promote Hosni's candidacy have been energetic and effective, resulting in a growing momentum that Israel feared might not be reversible. ¶2. (C) Shalev-Schlosser said Israel appreciated, but was not optimistic about USG and other like-minded countries' efforts to promote alternative candidates. Calling Hosni a "disaster" and an "anti-Semite," Shalev-Schlosser said that his election as UNESCO DG would likely spell the end of Israel's thawing relations with that organization. "This could shatter the good relations we've been rebuilding," he said. Shalev-Schlosser requested urgent USG-GOI consultations to block Hosni's nomination. ********************************************* ******************** 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. ********************************************* ******************** CUNNINGHAM