GOES TO VOTE FOR ANTI-ISRAEL RESOLUTIONS AT UNGA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 001083

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/11/23
TAGS: PREL UNGA KPAL IS SY LE ES
SUBJECT: GOES TO VOTE FOR ANTI-ISRAEL RESOLUTIONS AT UNGA

REF: 09 STATE 118799; STATE 112828

DERIVED FROM: Derived from previous message.


1. (C) On November 20, Director General for Foreign Policy Joaquin
Maza told PolCouns the GOES was almost certain to vote for at least
seven (anti-Israel) resolutions in the spirit of "UN consensus."
He said the GOES remains a strong supporter of Israel, and, as
evidence of this support, their mission plans to co-sponsor the
resolution on Agricultural Technology for Development, an Israeli
initiative. Maza listed the resolutions the GOES plans to support
as:


A. Resolution on the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable
Rights of the Palestinian People


B. Resolution on the Division for Palestinian Rights of the
Secretariat


C. Resolution on the Special Information Programme on the Question
of Palestine of the Department of Public Information of the
Secretariat


D. Resolution on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of
Palestine


E. Resolution on Jerusalem


F. Resolution on The Occupied Syrian Golan


G. Resolution on Assistance to the Palestinian People


2. (C) Israeli Ambassador Mattanya Cohen has hit Foreign Minister
Hugo Martinez hard over these anticipated anti-Israel votes. This
is doubly disappointing for Israel, as Martinez is a beneficiary of
a travel grant equivalent to our International Visitor Program. On
the other hand, Israel's larger concern is that the GOES not soften
its Iran policy.


3. (C) Comment: While disappointing, El Salvador's support for a
number of Israel-specific UNGA resolutions represents continuity
with previous conservative governments, which also tended to vote
with the majority on these anti-Israel UNGA resolutions. Unless
and until the cost of supporting "consensus" outweighs the
perceived benefits, we see little hope the GOES will change course.
BLAU