ISRAELI MISSION VOICES CONCERN OVER

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000773 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2019 TAGS: PREL PREF UNSC KPAL IS SUBJECT: ISRAELI MISSION VOICES CONCERN OVER NON-PARTICIPATION AT UNRWA COMMEMORATIVE EVENT Classified By: Ambassador Wolff for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This contains an action request (see paragraph 6). ¶2. (C) Daniel Carmon, the Deputy PermRep of the Israeli Mission in New York, on August 11 informed Ambassador Wolff that the representative office of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) had rejected Israel's request to speak at the Agency's commemorative event--UNRWA @ 60--scheduled for September 24 during the opening days of the UN General Assembly. Carmon raised the issue with USUN because Israel had a unique relationship to UNRWA and also balance some of the statements from some other states scheduled to speak, including refugee host countries Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, as well as League of Arab States head, Amr Moussa. ¶3. (C) Poloff followed up with the UNRWA Representative Office to ascertain the details of Israel's engagement in the planning of the commemorative event as well as the treatment of its request to participate in a speaking capacity. The UNRWA official explained that Israel's request to speak came after the decision was taken during the June 9-10 UNRWA Advisory Committee (AdCom) meeting to codify the final list of speakers. According to UNRWA, as well as other member states that attended the AdCom, the decision to finalize the list was meant to manage the large numbers of requests to speak as well as the tight time restrictions. The official said Carmon raised the possibility of Israel speaking at the event with Andrew Whitley, the Director of UNRWA's Representative Office, in June, at which time UNRWA told Carmon that while Israel's participation could be beneficial it could also precipitate antagonistic statements from the Arab states and create a negative atmosphere that detracts from the goal of a low key, apolitical, and positive event. UNRWA says the Israeli Mission then let the issue go dormant until August 6, when the Mission returned with an explicit demarche to include Israel at the commemorative event. On August 12, Carmon told Ambassador Wolf that he had unequivocally informed Whitley in June that Israel wanted a speaking role at the commemorative event ¶4. (C) According to the UNRWA official, Whitley has attempted to keep the Israeli Mission--"even more than the refugee host countries themselves"--apprised of the details of the event as the planning unfolded. UNRWA has shared early drafts of the event scenarios with Israel and been in frequent contact with Carmon. Moreover, the Representative Office says it has a very good working relationship with the Israeli Mission and involves it in UNRWA-related issues in New York to make sure its voice is heard. ¶5. (C) Regarding the UNRWA @ 60 commemorative book, which was developed to include statements from member states voicing support for UNRWA's work, the official said Israel, like all UN member states, received a request to contribute a statement to the book. Moreover, UNRWA says it reached out on several occasions to the Israeli Mission about its possible interest in contributing, but in the end Israel did not do so, and the official deadline for submissions ended in mid-July. According to the official, however, the window for submissions is still open if Israel chooses to do so. ¶6. (C) COMMENT AND ACTION REPORT: USUN has made clear to the Israeli Mission and to UNRWA the USG's support for Israel's participation in the commemorative event. This includes support for a speaking role if that is what the Israelis seek, even if UNRWA is convinced such a role would result in more politicized statements from other participants. We understand that the Secretary is considering attending the opening event of the commemoration and want to flag the sensitivities surrounding participation in this event. Mission also requests Department guidance on how to proceed with regard to promoting Israeli participation. RICE