'It is not easy.' Lavrov
Photo: AP
Russia: Engaging Hamas will foster peace
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia’s invitation to Hamas realistic way to advance future peacemaking after Islamic group won Palestinian elections
Russia’s invitation to Hamas to talks, which has dismayed Israel, is a realistic way to foster future peacemaking after the Islamic terrorists won the Palestinian elections, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
Moscow’s move has upset both the Jewish state and the United States by challenging their campaign to isolate Hamas, classified as a terrorist group in the West, until it renounces violence and recognizes Israel’s right to exist.
Controversial Invitation
Planned talks in Russia with a delegation of Hamas representatives may take place before the end of February, a Russian official was quoted as saying on Saturday by Interfax news agency
The Russian initiative seemed to open a crack in the Quartet of Middle East mediators—including the United Nations, EU and Washington. But Lavrov said Moscow agreed Hamas must commit to seeking peace with Israel to win international acceptance.
“We will work toward Hamas accepting the Quartet’s positions. This is not just the Quartet’s opinion but also that of the majority of nations, including Arab nations,” he said after talks with EU leaders in Vienna.
“But this will take time. It is not easy. Unless we engage Hamas, which gained power as result of legitimate, free and fair elections, nothing will change,” he said.
“This situation in the Middle East is too serious to be lenient (about conditions for dealing with Hamas). Russia does want the approaches of the Quartet to be implemented,” he said.
“My point is that responsible people should approach this situation from the point of view of wanting something to be done in order not to endanger the future of the peace process.”
Russian and Hamas officials said on Saturday that the talks might be held in Moscow before the end of February.
Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik of Austria, the current EU president, said “There is no reason to doubt” Russia would abide by Quartet policy—a Palestinian state on Israeli-occupied land co-existing with the Jewish state—in dealing with Hamas.
Israeli dismay
Israel initially condemned Moscow’s overture to Hamas after the Islamists romped to victory in the Jan. 25 Palestinian parliamentary elections, boosted by a backlash over corruption and chaos within the dominant Fatah party.
But Acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was low key about the move earlier this week, saying that while he felt the Russian move was “Mistaken”, Moscow had assured Israel it would demand Hamas “Recognize Israel and give up terror.”
Hamas has rejected such conditions, saying it had a legitimate right to “Resist occupation”. But Hamas has also mooted the possibility of a long-term ceasefire if Israel withdraws from all territories it captured in a 1967 war.
Russia does not consider Hamas to be a terrorist group but it classifies Chechens fighting to break way from Russia as “Mercenaries funded by international terrorism”.
Irked by Russia’s opening to Hamas, Israel has told its diplomats to play up alleged ties between Palestinian terrorists and Chechen separatists, Israeli political sources say.
Olmert has threatened to cut off a monthly transfer to the Palestinian Authority of tax revenues Israel collects on its behalf if Hamas comes to power, and to take unilateral moves to set the Jewish state’s borders if peacemaking remained frozen.
