VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWL #0234 0860531
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 270531Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2574
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 4353
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA IMMEDIATE 0263
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV IMMEDIATE 0029
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 0466
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000234 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR D (FRITZ), EAP/FO, IO/SHA, NEA/IPA, AND EAP/ANP 
NSC FOR VICTOR CHA 
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA LIZ PHU 
PACOM FOR JO1E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM NZ
SUBJECT: APPROACH TO NEW ZEALAND ON ISRAEL/JUSCANZ 
 
REF: STATE 36771 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William McCormick, 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  As requested reftel, Ambassador McCormick 
and the Australian and Canadian High Commissioners called on 
Foreign Minister Peters to urge that New Zealand support 
Israeli membership in the Geneva JUSCANZ group.  Peters 
promised to discuss the issue with Prime Minister Clark, and 
we are hopeful GNZ's position will change.  As Peters   is on 
travel again this week, Post will follow up with Foreign 
Ministry staff.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) When post received reftel, Foreign Minister Winston 
Peters was on travel and our Australian and Canadian 
counterparts had not yet been issued instructions from their 
respective capitols.  In order to get more background on 
GNZ's position, Pol-Econ Counselor quietly raised the issue 
on March 10 with Val Meyer, Director of the Human Rights 
Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  Meyer 
said that New Zealand officials were making a stand as a 
point of principle.  They view JUSCANZ as a group of 
"like-minded" countries united on Human Rights issues, and 
believe Israel is not sufficiently "like-minded", she said. 
NZ's Geneva rep has also reported that other JUSCANZ members 
were opposed to Israel's joining JUSCANZ, but as these 
members are from small delegations they haven't spoken up. 
(Meyer declined to name the countries.)  She admitted that 
Ministers had given clear guidance to the Geneva rep that NZ 
should not continue to block Israel's admission if there is 
consensus among other JUSCANZ members that Israel should 
join. 
 
¶3.  (C) Meanwhile, DCM discussed our concerns with Hamish 
Cooper, Minister Peter's Private Secretary.  Cooper pushed 
back a bit, but seemed very interested to learn that NZ was 
apparently isolated in its views. 
 
¶4.  (C) On March 25, the Ambassador called on Minister 
Peters, together with Australian High Commission John Dauth 
and Canadian High Commissioner Penny Reedie.  The Ambassador 
raised the general issue of anti-Israel discrimination in the 
UN.  Dauth, who has just come to Wellington following a term 
as Australia's UN Perm Rep in New York, gave a number of 
examples, including the UN Racism Conference in South Africa. 
 The COMs also indicated that New Zealand is effectively 
standing alone in strongly opposing Israel's membership in 
JUSCANZ. 
 
¶5.  (C) Peters said he would discuss the matter with the 
Prime Minister.  He implied he did not think New Zealand 
would have a problem with changing its stance.  Post is 
hopeful we may see a change in the policy, although as Peters 
is now again on travel things may slip a bit.  We will 
continue to follow up with MFAT staff and report back on 
GNZ's decision once it is taken. 
McCormick