US embassy cable - 04ROME2763

UNCLAS ROME 002763 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, IS, IT, UNGA, ICJ 
SUBJECT: ITALY SAYS CURRENT ICJ/SECURITY BARRIER RESOLUTION 
LANGUAGE UNACCEPTABLE; WILL FOLLOW EU LINE ON VOTE 
 
REF: STATE 152014 
 
1. (SBU) MFA Director for Egypt, Israel and the Occupied 
Territories Luca Sorgi told poloff that Italy found 
unacceptable a number of paragraphs in the current Arab Group 
draft resolution calling for UNGA endorsement of the ICJ 
advisory opinion on the Israeli security barrier.  He 
mentioned specifically  that the general attempt to move the 
process away from a negotiated settlement and towards a 
legally binding decision was unhelpful.  He said Italy shares 
the EU position as stated in the July 12 GAERC conclusions 
which endorses the Roadmap process and calls for enhanced EU 
participation through the Quartet. 
 
2. (SBU) When pressed, Sorgi said that Italian objections to 
the draft were not sufficiently strong to promise a "no" 
vote.  The draft was under "careful scrutiny" by  a group of 
experts under the guidance of the EU Presidency in New York. 
Italy also wanted to wait for the results of attempts in New 
York to convince the Arab Group to revise the draft.  Such 
revisions would have to take into account reftel concerns, 
including acknowledgment of recent court decisions in Israel 
mandating changes in the barrier's route, with which the 
Government of Israel has indicated it will comply.  When 
poloff further pressed Sorgi for Italy's vote should the 
draft be presented for an UNGA decision as currently written, 
he declined to speculate, saying only that the EU would 
coordinate a common position. 
 
3. (U) MFA Office Director for UN/IO Alessandro Busacca 
reiterated that Italy and its EU partners were aware of and 
shared  US concerns as outlined in reftel.  He noted that 
Italy's delegation in New York was working actively on the 
issue. 
 
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2004ROME02763 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED