Cablegate: Un: Ecuador for Balance in Beit Hanoun

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UNCLAS QUITO 002832

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SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UN BO EC
SUBJECT: UN: ECUADOR FOR BALANCE IN BEIT HANOUN
RESOLUTIONS, REGIONAL CONSENSUS ON OTHERS

REF: SECSTATE 188244

1. (SBU) Summary: The GOE will vote in favor of the Beit
Hanoun resolutions in NY and Geneva, in favor of the Burma
country resolution, against Iran's retaliatory Canada
resolution, and seeks to shift GRULAC consensus from
abstention on Belarus' retaliatory resolutions against the
U.S. to a 'no' vote. End Summary.

2. (SBU) PolChief conveyed RefTel points to MFA U/S for
Multilateral Affairs Gonzalo Salvador on November 16. After
hearing our arguments, Salvador said the GOE would vote in
favor of the UNGA November 17 Emergency Special Session
resolution condemning the incident in Beit Hanoun. The GOE
had voted in favor of a similar resolution at the
Extraordinary Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

3. (SBU) On November 17, Salvador sent us two statements by
Ecuador's representative to the Third Special Session of the
Human Rights Council in Geneva e-mailed to WHA/AND). Both
were dated November 15. The first is entitled "Intervention
by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil in Geneva,
Ambassador Sergio Florencio." The document is a joint
statement by Brazil and Ecuador, expressing concern for "the
growing spiral of violence in the Palestinian Occupied
Territories reflected in the rising death toll from Israeli
operations in Northern Gaza and the recent disproportionate
military actions in Beit Hanoun." The statement includes
some balance, rejecting as "unacceptable the use of violence
by either side" and favoring "dialogue and peaceful solution
of conflicts" and recommending "an appeal to all parties to
self-restraint and to return to the peace process." Both
countries call upon Israel to investigate responsibility for
the Beit Hanoun incident, and urge "the Palestinians to take
the critically important step of stopping rocket attacks by
militants, and on both sides to return to talks." Possible
steps toward reconciliation "could begin with the release of
the Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit. Another important step in
the direction of peace in the region would be the
establishment of a Palestinian Government of national unity."

4. (SBU) The other document is entitled "Intervention of
Alternate Representative of Ecuador Galo Larenas, Explaining
Ecuador's Vote in Support of the Resolution On the Israeli
Military Attack at Beit Hanoun." The document asserts that
the GOE would vote in favor of the resolution. After
expressing concern about civilian casualties there, it does
the same for "Israeli victims caused by missiles shot from
the Palestinian sector." The GOE seconded the Brazilian
statement calling for a "cessation of these actions, on both
sides, and return of the parties to the negotiating table."
The statement also congratulates Israel for actions taken (to
investigate responsibility for the incident).

5. (SBU) On other pending UN human rights resolutions,
Ambassador Salvador on November 16 told us the GOE would
likely vote in favor of the Burma resolution, and against
Iran's retaliatory resolution against Canada. On November
17, Salvador said he had instructed Ecuador's Alternate
Representative at the UN, Ambassador Rodrigo Riofio, to "seek
to procure or join regional consensus, if it is against
Belarus' retaliatory resolution against the human rights
situation in the U.S." The GOE would coordinate these
efforts with Chile, Brazil and Peru. If consensus is not
reached, the GOE would abstain.
JEWELL

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