This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS PARIS 004363 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/OHI 
STATE PASS TO NPS - STEPHEN MORRIS AND PAUL HOFFMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SCUL PL GM IS UNESCO
SUBJECT:  TRYING TO POSTPONE THE AUSCHWITZ NAME CHANGE 
 
REF: Paris 003344 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Israel is attempting to delay the Auschwitz name 
change issue from reaching UNESCO's World Heritage Conference for 
discussion or decision during the upcoming meeting in Vilnius next 
month.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Israeli Ambassador to UNESCO and current Charge d'Affairs 
for Israel's Embassy to France, David Kornbluth and Embassy officer 
Daniel Safran-Hon, met with Ambassador Oliver this afternoon, June 
21st, to discuss the Polish government's efforts to formally change 
the name of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on the World 
Heritage List to "Former Nazi German Concentration Camp 
Auschwitz-Birkenau."  Ambassador Oliver had previously met with 
Poland's Ambassador to UNESCO, Maria Wodzynska-Walicka on this 
subject on May 18th at the Polish Ambassador's request (see 
reftel.) 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ambassador Kornbluth said that the Israeli government is 
still deciding what change in the name it will be willing to accept. 
 (US Mission comment:  While there are a few vocal opponents to the 
proposed name change (the World Jewish Congress, in particular), 
according to press reports, most Jewish Holocaust survivors groups, 
as well as Yad Vashem and American Jewish Committee appear to be in 
agreement with the Polish government's proposal.  End comment). 
Kornbluth said that ultimately a change that might add the word 
"extermination and concentration camp" would probably be acceptable 
to the Israeli government.  For the Poles, whatever solution is 
found must include the words "Nazi German". 
 
¶4. (SBU) The chief concern raised by the Israeli Ambassador was the 
speed with which the Polish government is attempting to push through 
the change in order to table the proposal at UNESCO's upcoming World 
Heritage Conference in Vilnius in early July.  Kornbluth also noted 
that the Polish Ambassador has been attempting to play each side 
against the other in discussions between the Germans and Israelis. 
He said that the Germans feel themselves to be without power and 
cornered on the issue, waiting to see how the issue plays out 
between the Poles and the Israelis. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Ambassador Oliver said that the postponement might be the 
best way to handle the issue for the moment, given the 
sensitivities, and added that the key to a solution is one in which 
the concerned parties are comfortable with the proposed changes. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Ambassador Kornbluth said that discussions on the issue are 
still going on within Israel, leaving us with a clear indication 
that the Israeli government is having difficulty reaching a unified 
position on the subject. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Kornbluth said that he is trying to get the Polish 
government's approval to postpone tabling the subject at Vilnius, 
citing technical complications.  (Comment:  The possibility that the 
technical reasons raised by the Israelis could be tied to a request 
for a vague management plan, may or may not be acceptable to the 
Polish government, again leaving some doubt as to whether the 
postponement is a done deal or not.  End comment). 
 
¶8. (SBU) The World Heritage Center's Director, Francesco Bandarin, 
has supposedly agreed to guide the postponement which will be made 
on behalf of the Secretariat, deflecting the source of the request, 
and will ask the appropriate International Experts Group to review 
the subject.  At this time there has been no fixed date set for its 
onward review.    Ambassador Kornbluth said that while the Germans 
were delighted about the possibility of postponement, he believes 
that the Poles are also pleased, as the name change, despite the 
delay, will remain on the table. 
Oliver