VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0129/01 0501551
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 191551Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9446
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 0232
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 0041
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0014
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0048
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 0017
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0769

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN JOSE 000129 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA, WHA/CEN AND NEA/IPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2018 
TAGS: CS KPAL PGOV PINR PREL IL
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA RECOGNIZES PALESTINIAN "STATE" 
 
Classified By: Classified by ADCM David E. Henifin per 1.4(d) 
 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  Costa Rica recognized the "state" of 
Palestine in an exchange of notes in New York on February 5. 
The MFA quietly announced the move in San Jose hours later, 
taking local diplomatic missions (including Post) by 
surprise.  The MFA,s public explanation stressed Costa 
Rica,s and the Palestinians, shared commitment to the 
"purposes and principles" of the UN Charter, and described 
the recognition as part of the Arias administration,s 
overall effort to broaden contacts with Arab nations. 
Privately, MFA contacts insisted (somewhat defensively) that 
Costa Rica had taken a "sovereign, independent" decision, 
that President Arias had been personally involved, that the 
intent was to push the Peace Process forward, and that the 
decision reflected "more balanced policy" in the Middle East. 
  The Israeli Embassy has protested the move, and canceled 
GOI-GOCR UNSC consultations/political dialogue planned for 
February 26.   In our view, the GOCR,s decision brings 
little tangible benefit to either side (or the Peace 
Process), but it is in keeping with Arias,s goal of 
maintaining the broadest possible diplomatic relations.  The 
no-notice, no-consultation way this decision was announced is 
also in keeping with the foreign policy decision making style 
of this second Arias administration.  END SUMMARY. 
 
====================================== 
NO-NOTICE RECOGNITION ANNOUNCEMENT 
====================================== 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On February 5, GOCR Permrep Jorge Urbina exchanged 
notes in New York with  Palestinian representative Riyad 
Mansour, formalizing Costa Rica,s recognition of the "state" 
of Palestine.   The MFA in San Jose issued a release eight 
hours later confirming the news, which came as a complete 
surprise to most local diplomatic missions (including Post). 
 
¶3.  (U) The MFA,s statement (emailed to WHA/CEN) and 
companion media interviews by FonMin Bruno Stagno stressed 
Costa Rica,s and the Palestinians, "common support and 
commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of 
the United Nations and the norms of international law."  The 
MFA statement continued that the recognition "deepens our 
gradual normalization of diplomatic relations with the Arab 
and Islamic world in general, as part of a foreign policy of 
opening borders and mind, which reinforces Costa Rica,s 
intelligent engagement with the world."  The statement closed 
with a list of the 16 nations or entities -- eight in the 
Middle East -- with which the Arias administration had 
established relations since 2006.  These include Egypt, 
Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, "Palestine," and 
Yemen.  The MFA also announced that the GOCR would establish 
a "political consultation mechanism" with the Arab League. 
The announcement attracted little media coverage (the MFA 
seemed to play it down deliberately). 
 
===================================== 
MFA EXPLAINS, CLARIFIES (AND DEFENDS) 
===================================== 
 
¶4.  (SBU) As soon we heard the news, we sought clarification. 
 MFA Director of Foreign Policy Christian Guillermet 
confirmed that the GOCR had deliberately recognized the 
"state" of Palestine, but he seemed uncomfortable saying any 
more, adding that only Stagno or his COS, Antonio Alarcon, 
could discuss the issue in detail. 
 
¶5.  (C) On the margins of a UNSC issue briefing to the 
Diplomatic Corps on February 8 (during which Stagno said 
nothing about Palestine), Guillermet further explained to us 
privately that a) the GOCR had taken a "sovereign, 
independent" decision to recognize the "state" of Palestine; 
b) President Arias had been personally involved in the 
decision; and c) the GOCR,s intent was to push the Middle 
East Peace Process forward.   When pressed, Guillermet said 
the GOCR was willing to protect Israel,s interests as well, 
but he maintained that the recognition of Palestine reflected 
Costa Rica,s new, "more balanced policy" in the Middle East, 
which contrasted with its "more one-sided" (i.e., more 
strongly pro-Israel) approach in the past.  Guillermet 
offered no specifics as to how Palestinian recognition would 
move the Peace Process forward, however.  Somewhat defensive, 
he insisted that Costa Rican recognition of Palestine was no 
different from USG support for Kosovo independence. 
 
================================ 
ISRAELIS SURPRISED (AND INCENSED) 
================================ 
 
¶6.  (C) On February 12, Israeli Ambassador Ehud Eitam 
(protect) called on Charge and Pol/C to discuss the 
Palestinian issue.  (Eitam had alerted us to the recognition 
on February 5, a few hours before the MFA statement was 
released.)   Still fuming, Eitam recounted how the GOI,s 
permrep in New York suspected that the GOCR may have been 
planning something when GOCR Permrep Jorge Urbina referred to 
the "state of Palestine" in recent remarks.  When Eitam 
approached the MFA for clarification on February 4, 
Guillermet dismissed the idea as an earlier proposal that had 
not been followed up.  When Stagno called Eitam the next day 
to alert the GOI, it was clear to the Israeli that the 
recognition decision had already been made.  In response, 
Eitam said the GOI immediately canceled the UNSC 
consultations/political dialogue planned for February 26 in 
San Jose.  The Israeli Vice FonMin was to have lead that 
delegation. 
 
¶7.  (C) When he protested to Stagno under instructions from 
Jerusalem, Eitam heard an explanation similar to 
Guillermet,s.  The GOCR believed that recognition would help 
the Peace Process, by among other things, now enabling Costa 
Rica to press the newly-recognized Palestine to live up to 
its international obligations.  Tacitly acknowledging that 
the announcement had stung Israel, Stagno promised Eitam that 
this would be "the last surprise" in Costa Rican-Israeli 
relations, although he added that San Jose and Jerusalem 
would not always be in agreement on UNSC or UN issues. 
(Eitam had just taken up his new post here in August 2006 
when the GOCR announced that it was moving its embassy from 
Jerusalem to Tel Aviv.)  NOTE:  True to Stagno's comments to 
Eitam, the MFA did issue a statement on February 11 
condemning the latest round of rocket attacks from the Gaza 
Strip on the Sderot area.  Although it received little media 
attention, this is the first such statement we can recall 
from during the Arias administration. 
 
========= 
COMMENT 
========= 
 
¶8.  (C) The Israeli Ambassador theorizes that Costa Rica,s 
puzzling recognition decision must have been a quid pro quo 
for Palestinian support of Costa Rica,s UNSC election.  This 
may be true, but we can see little practical benefit for 
either side.  Stagno has already told the media that the MFA 
lacks the funds to open an embassy in the Palestinian 
territories.  (In fact, the GOCR has only opened one embassy 
--  in Beijing -- in the 16 countries/entities recognized 
thus far by the Arias administration.)   We suspect that the 
Palestinians are similarly unable to open anything in San 
Jose.  The move thus remains mostly symbolic, but is in 
keeping with President Oscar Arias,s goal of Costa Rica 
maintaining diplomatic relations with the broadest possible 
array of nations.  The way this decision was announced is 
also in keeping with the major foreign policy moves in this 
second Arias administration.   Like the 2006 embassy move 
from Jerusalem and the 2007 recognition of China, Arias and 
Stagno acted quickly, without coordinating broadly within the 
MFA, with little/no public notice, and without truly 
consulting all the interested parties in advance. 
BRENNAN