CONSTRUCTIVE OUTCOME FROM THE GOLDSTONE REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001300 SIPDIS PASS TO IO/RHS ENAV AND RAZZOUK NEA/IPA GIAUQUE E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2019 TAGS: KISL KPAL PHUM PREL PTER IS FR SUBJECT: CONSTRUCTIVE OUTCOME FROM THE GOLDSTONE REPORT REF: STATE 98567 Classified By: Acting Pol M/C Andrew Young for Reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) On September 23, poloff met with French MFA Deputy Middle East DAS Frederick Bereyziat to deliver talking points per reftel. Bereyziat said the Government of France (GOF) had been debating the findings of the Goldstone Report for the past three days to finalize its position. Although a recommendation had been sent to Foreign Minister Kouchner, he had not yet approved it. He added that Sweden as president of the European Union (EU) had circulated common talking points to all EU members, but a debate was still progress with some EU members and specifically with the Czech Republic which did not agree with Sweden's recommendations. ¶2. (C) Bereyziat said he expected the GOF's final position would be very close to that of the USG's and that France would not/not give a blanket endorsement the Report. However, he said three unresolved issues remained. First, whether the GOF would agree with the suggested EU position that the Goldstone Report was a serious fact finding effort despite the fact the EU disagrees with the report's legal recommendations and specifically regarding human rights violations. Second, Bereyziat was 80 percent sure that France would not recommend to matter be sent to the International Criminal Court. Third, France would probably ask that the debate of the report be kept at the Human Rights Council, but it might not object that it be submitted to UN Secretary General Ban for his review. Bereyziat closed by saying the GOF's main goal was to keep the Middle East peace process on track. RIVKIN