Opposing UNGA Resolutions with Anti-Israel Bias: Guatemalan

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 000987 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/11/24 TAGS: PREL UNGA KPAL IS SY LE GT SUBJECT: Opposing UNGA Resolutions with Anti-Israel Bias: Guatemalan Response REF: STATE 118799 CLASSIFIED BY: Drew G. Blakeney, Political and Economic Counselor, State, P/E; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) (C) Pol/Econ Counselor delivered reftel demarche Nov. 24 to MFA Director General for Multilateral Affairs Julio Martini and Deputy Director Luis Carranza. Martini and Carranza said the GOG is sympathetic to USG views outlined reftel and would continue to be "supportive of Israel's vital interests." However, they said, some of the resolutions treating Palestinian issues have been repeated at UNGA year after year, and an unspoken consensus has emerged among NAM and other Third World countries that it is considered "good form not to oppose these resolutions." As a small country, they said, Guatemala cannot afford the political cost that voting against the three Palestinian-exclusive UN institution and other resolutions listed reftel would entail. Therefore, Guatemala would continue its policy of abstaining in order to be as helpful as it can to ISRAEL while eschewing the political costs that might accompany outright opposition. MCFARLAND