Putin Breaks Western Siege Of Hamas, Israel Furious

2006-02-11

France Agrees, EU Divided And US Seeks Russian Clarifications

Palestine Media Center - PMC

www.palestine-pmc.com/ details.asp?cat=1 &id=1092

The Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday invited Hamas to Moscow, thus breaking the Israeli and US-led Western diplomatic siege of the Islamic Resistance Movement, which won the Palestinian January 25 legislative elections in a landslide, creating a political crisis with Israel, a rift with the co-members of the Middle East Quartet and cracks in the anti-Hamas pro-Israeli ranks, though he warned that "it is necessary (for Hamas) to leave behind the extremist positions, to recognize Israel's right to exist and to have relations with the international community."

Senior Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh, who topped the Islamic movement's national list of "Change and Reform" in the parliamentary elections, said that leaders of the group, "would be delighted" to visit Russia if Putin tendered a formal invitation.

On January 31, Putin told Russian and foreign media at the Kremlin, Moscow: "Our position concerning Hamas differs from the American and western European positions. The foreign ministry of the Russian Federation never declared that Hamas is a terrorist organization."

However he said: "But this does not mean that we approve and support everything that Hamas does and all the declarations that they have made recently," adding: "It is necessary to leave behind the extremist positions, to recognize Israel's right to exist and to have relations with the international community."

On Thursday, Putin invited leaders of Hamas to visit Moscow, reportedly during mid-February. "Having maintained our contacts with the organization Hamas, we intend to invite their leaders to Moscow in the near future to search for solutions," Putin said.

Explaining his decision during a visit to Spain the Russian leader told reporters in Madrid: "Hamas came to power ... as a result of democratic, legitimate elections, and we must respect the choice of the Palestinian people."

Putin's defense minister, Sergei Ivanov, on Friday added that "leading states" will follow the Russian lead. "Sometime in the future, many leading states will start supporting Hamas and have some contacts," he said.

Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mikhail Kamynin, further explained his leader's goals on Thursday. Russia wants "to maintain the peace process on the basis of the roadmap and to continue seeking solutions that are acceptable to Palestine, Israel and the international community," he said.

Russia's special Middle East envoy, Alexander Kalugin, said Russia would attempt to convince Hamas to take up peaceful dialogue, and to recognize Israel's right to exist.

"We want them to respect all of the past agreements to avoid terror attacks," Kalugin told the Russian news agency Interfax, adding: "Of course, it is also necessary to embark on the road toward recognition of Israel 's right to exist."

Russia is a member of the so-called Quartet of Mideast peace negotiators that also includes the United States, the United Nations and the European Union. The Quartet drafted and sponsored the June 2003 "roadmap" peace plan, which was later adopted by the UN General Assembly and calls on the Palestinians to renounce violence and disarm anti-Israeli occupation groups like Hamas.

Kalugin said that in talks with Hamas , Russia "will help promote the principles agreed upon by the Quartet." and "will suggest that Hamas change its position at a meeting with representatives from the group," the AP reported.

US Seeking Russian Explanations

The fourth member of the Quartet, the United States, steered clear of criticizing Russian President for inviting Hamas, rejected the notion that Putin's remarks undermine the unity or power of the Quartet, and requested clarifications from Moscow.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday to discuss Moscow's surprise plans to invite Palestinian election winner Hamas for talks.

The US ambassador in Russia, William J. Burns, has requested clarification of the message Putin intends to give to the Hamas officials, State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, told reporters on Friday.

Washington considered Putin's decision a "sovereign" practice.

But State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said: "We have been assured that should the Russian government meet with Hamas, that they would send that -- that the meeting would be with the intent of sending that clear, strong message," that Hamas disarms, recognizes Israel, and commits to previous Palestinian - Israeli accords.

"Certainly, we are not going to have any contact with a terrorist organization. But as for each state, they are going to have to make that sovereign decision," McCormack said in Washington.

He rejected the notion that Putin's remarks would undermine the Quartet's unity. "As a member of the Quartet, we would certainly expect that Russia would deliver that same message," McCormack said.

The top US diplomat for the Middle East, David Welch, noted that Russia had agreed to demand Hamas recognize Israel, disarm, renounce violence and keep to previous Palestinian accords with Israel.

"We would expect that any meeting that occurs with any Palestinian representatives, including Hamas, would emphasize these principles," Welch told a news conference. "That should be the approach of any country -- that is, to drive home what is agreed internationally," he added.

Rift in Quartet, Cracks in EU

Putin's invitation to Hamas revealed cracks in the unified stance of the Quartet as shown by their statement after their meeting in London in December.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged the international community to give Hamas time to change its ways before ruling it out as a partner.

"We are at a very early stage of the game," Annan told reporters in New York.

"Hamas won the election but they have never been in government. They need time to organize themselves," he said.

Annan also told Hamas to listen to the warnings of the international community, to take upon itself the commitments of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), and to abandon the path of violence and to recognize Israel.

Meanwhile, Putin's invitation also led to differences among the members of the European Union, another Quartet member.

France, in an apparent break with the United States, has signaled support for the Russian meeting and said such talks might advance the position of the Quartet.

"We share with Russia the goal to bring Hamas to the positions which allow us to reach the goal of two states living in peace and security," French Foreign Ministry spokesman, Denis Simonneau, told reporters in Paris on Friday, but indicated at the same time that Russia had not informed European leaders of its intent to talk with Hamas.

"As long as we remain within the framework of the goals and principles that we have set for ourselves, we consider that this (Russian) initiative can contribute to advancing our positions," he explained.

Separately German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany is expected in Israel and the Palestinian territories on Sunday, but a German official insisted, "He is definitely not going to talk to Hamas."

EU hopeful and NATO member, Turkey, has announced Ankara will deal with Hamas both as a "party" and as a government.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said he would invite Hamas in his capacity as a party leader, but when the Islamic Movement assumes power he'll invite it officially as he had invited previous Palestinian government officials.

However the EU Austrian presidency has a completely different point of view.

On Friday, EU president Austria in a statement criticized Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for meeting in Syria with "Palestinian terrorist groups" and called on Iran to end such contacts, according to AFP.

Austria called "upon Iran to end such links," the statement said, adding: "The (Austrian EU) Presidency also called upon Iran to join the international consensus on the need for a two state solution to the Middle East conflict."

Ahmadinejad met on January 20 in Damascus with the leaders of ten Palestinian movements including the Islamic Jihad and Hamas.

Iran rejected the EU "intervention" in its affairs. Austria's statement is "an intervention in internal affairs of Iran and unacceptable," IRNA quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hamid-Reza Asefi, as saying.

"What is ugly and unpleasant both rationally and logically is contact and ties with the 'Zionist' regime that has been violating rights of the Palestinian people and is a source of threat and instability in the Middle East," Asefi said.

Israel: A Slap in the Face, a Stab in the Back

Meanwhile the Israeli reaction to Putin's move was furious, accusing Moscow of stabbing Israel in the back and slapping Western countries in the face.

Moshe Katsav, Israel's president, said the Russian move endangered the peace process in the Middle East.

Israel's Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, on Friday criticized Russia's plan to invite Hamas leaders to Moscow, saying it undercut international pressure on Hamas to recognize Israel.

In an interview with the New York Sun, the foreign minister warned during a visit to the United States of a "slippery slope" embarked upon by Russia, which could grant legitimacy and compromise with Hamas.

"I don't know if it's a bad idea for him," a flustered Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said of Vladimir Putin. "I think it's a bad idea."

"There is a tendency sometimes among some in the international community to try and understand, to reach agreements, to take a backward step," the Israeli foreign minister added.

Separately, speaking on Israel Radio, Israeli cabinet minister of education, Meir Sheetrit, accused Putin of "stabbing Israel in the back."

Russia "cannot fill any position regarding negotiations with the Palestinians" unless it changes its position on Hamas, Sheetrit told Israel Radio.

Sheetrit, a leading member of the Kadima party, also recalled Russia's support of the Arab bloc during the Cold War, saying Putin's comments show that "Russia is returning to the mistakes of the past."

Senior Israeli officials said Israel was seeking a full explanation from Russia's ambassador to the Jewish state, and from other top Russian officials.

"It's not just a slap in the face to Israel. It's a slap in the face to Western countries," said one Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity because talks with Russia were ongoing. "We are waiting for an explanation."

Source: IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis