PRESSING FOR TUNISIAN VOTES AGAINST ANTI-ISRAEL

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000851 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2019 TAGS: PREL PHUM TS SUBJECT: PRESSING FOR TUNISIAN VOTES AGAINST ANTI-ISRAEL RESOLUTIONS REF: A. TUNIS 844 ¶B. TUNIS 830 ¶C. STATE 118788 Classified by Ambassador Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Following up on our November 18 demarche (ref a),in three separate one-on-one discussions on November 19 the Ambassador urged Tunisia to abstain from voting for anti-Israel resolutions currently circulating in the UNGA Third Committee. The Ambassador spoke with Elyes Kasri, MFA Director-General for the Americas and Asia; Mohktar Chaouachi, MFA Director-General for UN and International Organizations; and Mourad Belkassem, Deputy Director of the Americas Desk. With each interlocutor, the Ambassador highlighted the White House press secretary's November 17 statement on settlement expansion and the need for Arab states and Israel to act responsibily. ¶2. (C) With slight variations, each of the MFA officials stressed that while Tunisia continues to hope for progress in efforts to advance Middle East peace, the GOT would be loathe to depart from the Arab League consensus on upcoming resolutions. Nonetheless, each expressed appreciation for the November 17 statement. GRAY