US embassy cable - 03THEHAGUE2366

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002366 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/2013 
TAGS: AORC, KNNP, IS, EG, NL, IAEA 
SUBJECT: DUTCH RESPONSE TO IAEA ARAB-ISRAELI DISPUTE 
DEMARCHE 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 268376 
 
     B. GOLDING - KNILEY EMAIL 09/18 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Mary E. Daly for reasons 1.5 (b and 
d) 
 
1. (C) PolOff delivered reftel demarche on the IAEA 
Arab-Israeli dispute at the General Conference (Ref A) to 
Dutch MFA Deputy Head of Nuclear Affairs and Nonproliferation 
Division Peter Potman.  During the demarche, the MFA received 
a call from its delegation in Vienna saying the EU had just 
reached a consensus to abstain on the "Israeli Nuclear 
Capacities and Threat" resolution.  The Dutch are just as 
displeased with the Arab Group's decision to table the 
"Israeli Nuclear Capabilities and Threat" resolution as the 
U.S., and hope the previous arrangement will hold.  Before 
the phone call, Potman said the primary goal was a united EU 
position and he believed it could only be achieved by 
abstention.  He cautioned that it may be more difficult to 
get the Arab countries on board for the IAEA meeting in 
November on Iran. 
 
2. (C) Potman said the Dutch position on the "Application of 
Safeguards in the Middle East" resolution is not the same as 
that of the U.S.  The Dutch recently voted in favor of UN 
Resolution 57/97, "The Risk of Nuclear Proliferation in the 
Middle East," which is stronger than the Safeguards 
resolution.  If the "Application of Safeguards in the Middle 
East" resolution is put to a vote, the Dutch will in all 
likelihood vote in favor of it, but are still undecided. 
Potman noted Dutch support for UN Resolution 57/97 makes it 
difficult for them to veto or abstain from the Safeguards 
resolution, which the Dutch believe is a good resolution. 
SOBEL