US embassy cable - 03ROME4921

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004921 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/28/2013 
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, IS, IT, UNSC 
SUBJECT: UNWRA RESOLUTION: ITALIANS PESSIMISTIC ABOUT EU 
SUPPORT 
 
REF: SECSTATE 303844 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POL M/C T. COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
    1. (C) SUMMARY: POL M/C DISCUSSED REFTEL POINTS WITH MFA 
MIDDLE EAST OFFICE DIRECTOR, LUCA FERRARI. ALTHOUGH FERRARI 
STRONGLY AGREED WITH THE US GOAL OF REPLACING THE CURRENT 
UNWRA RESOLUTIONS WITH ONE COMBIED AND MORE POSITIVE 
RESOLUTION, HE WAS PESSIMISTIC THAT THE EU WOULD SUPPORT THE 
US RESOLUTION DUE TO PALESTINIAN OPPOSITION AND INTERNAL EU 
DISAGREEMENT ON THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE. END SUMMARY 
 
2. (C) FERRARI STATED THAT EU MEMBERS ARE IN DISAGREEMENT IN 
NEW YORK OVER THIS ISSUE AND THERE IS ACRIMONY OVER WHAT MANY 
MEMBERS SEE AS A RELUCTANCE BY THE ITALIAN PRESIDENCY TO 
ISSUE STRONGER AND MORE FREQUENT CONDEMNATIONS OF ISRAELI 
BEHAVIOR. FERRARI STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THE EU HAD 
HYPOTHETICALLY AGREED WITH THE US STREAMLINING PROPOSAL, ONCE 
ACTUAL PALESTINIAN OPPOSITION IS VOICED, THE EU WILL REVERT 
TO THE SAME POSITION AS LAST YEAR. 
 
3. (C) FERRARI BELIEVES THAT THE ONLY POSSIBLE WAY TO 
INFLUENCE THE EU POSITION IS FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM TO BECOME 
MORE OUTSPOKEN IN SUPPORT OF RATIONALIZATION OF UNWRA 
AMENDMENTS AND THUS BEGIN CHANGING THE TRADITIONAL EU 
KNEE-JERK ACCEPTANCE OF THE PALESTINIAN DELEGATION'S POSITION 
- A ROLE WHICH ITALY, AS EU PRESIDENT, IS CONSTRAINED FROM 
FILLING. FERRARI ALSOSUGGESTED THAT IF THE US MADE SOME 
COMPROMISE WITH RUSSIA ON THE ROAD MAP RESOLUTION IN THE UNSC 
IT MAY GAIN VALUABLE RUSSIAN SUPPORT ON THE UNWRA RESOLUTION. 
 
4. (C) EMBASSY COMMENT/ACTION REQUEST: INSTRUCTION CABLES OF 
THIS SORT WOULD BE MORE VALUABLE IF COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS 
ON THE STATE OF PLAY IN NEW YORK WAS INCLUDED. EVERY PIECE OF 
INFORMATION WE GOT CAME FROM THE ITALIAN MFA, NOT OUR OWN 
    SOURCES. IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO KNOW THE POSITIONS OF THE 
PALESTINIAN AND OTHER DELEGATIONS ON THIS RESOLUTION AND IT 
WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL TO KNOW IF THE US WILL PROCEED WITH ITS 
TEXT EVEN IF THE PALESTINIANS INSIST ON THE EXISTING SEVEN 
RESOLUTIONS. END COMMENT/REQUEST. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME04921 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL