US embassy cable - 04ROME1472

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001472 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/OHI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, SOCI, IT, OSCE 
SUBJECT: ITALY SUGGESTS MODIFIED LANGUAGE FOR OSCE 
ANTI-SEMITISM CONFERENCE DRAFT DOCUMENT 
 
REF: A) ROME 1402 B) PARIS 2794 C) STATE 78071 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL MINISTER-COUNSELOR GARY ROBBINS. REASON: 1.5 (B)(D 
) 
 
    1. (C) FOLLOWING UP ON REF A CONVERSATION, MFA OSCE OFFICE 
DIRECTOR FABIO CRISTIANI TOLD POLOFF THAT THERE WAS LITTLE 
SUPPORT AMONG OSCE MEMBER STATES FOR LANGUAGE IN THE OSCE 
ANTI-SEMITISM CONFERENCE DRAFT DOCUMENT LINKING ANTI-SEMITISM 
TO ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL.  HE CLAIMED THAT ITALY COULD LIVE 
WITH SUCH A LINK, BUT "OVERWHELMING" OPPOSITION MADE IT 
UNLIKELY IT WOULD RECEIVE CONSENSUS.  IT WAS FAR TOO GENERAL, 
HE AVERRED. 
 
2. (C)  CRISTIANI SUGGESTED THAT ACCEPTABLE COMPROMISE 
LANGUAGE WOULD REFERENCE THE FACT THAT ANTI-SEMITISM IS 
SOMETIMES MANIFESTED AS AN ATTACK ON "THE RIGHT OF ISRAEL TO 
EXIST" OR "ISRAEL'S EXISTENCE".  COMMENT:  THIS PHRASING IS 
ALMOST EXACTLY AS PROPOSED BY FRANCE IN REF B, LEADING US TO 
BELIEVE THE COMPROMISE LANGUAGE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AND 
APPROVED BY AT LEAST SOME OF THE MAJOR PLAYERS AMONG THE EU 
MEMBERS INTERESTED IN THE DRAFT. 
 
VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: 
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M 
 
SEMBLER 
 
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	2004ROME01472 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL