TAORMINA, Italy, 11 February 2006 — Russia’s defense minister predicted yesterday that other leading countries will follow Moscow in seeking contacts with Hamas, which won the Palestinian elections, to press for a Middle East accord.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, speaking after an informal meeting with NATO defense ministers, defended Russia’s decision to invite Hamas to Moscow for talks, a move criticized by Israel as “a stab in the back.”
“Hamas is in power right now. This is a fact,” Ivanov told reporters. “The second fact is that Hamas came to power as a result of free democratic elections.” He said Russia, like most other countries, did not support Hamas’ ideology but said contacts were needed to press it on issues such as Israel’s right to exist and the need for a Middle East accord.
“I’m not afraid to predict that sometime in the future many leading states, and I’m thinking in particular about the Quartet, will start supporting Hamas contacts... to make clear to Hamas authorities the attitudes of one or another state toward the Middle East settlement,” he said.
The Quartet — the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia — had put out a statement declaring that it would only deal with Hamas if it affirms Israel’s right to exist and renounces violence.
But NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer ruled out any talks between the military alliance and the Palestinian group. “Contacts with Hamas are out of the question. Impossible,” he said.
Ivanov said he did not discuss the issue in talks with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. However, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice won assurances from Russia yesterday that Moscow would send a firm message to Hamas that the group must change if it wants world support, the State Department said.
Rice telephoned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday. “We have been assured that should the Russian government meet with Hamas, the meeting would be with the intent of sending that clear, strong message,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
The United States classifies Hamas as a terrorist body and has ruled out any direct contact until the group renounces violence, disarms members and recognizes Israel.
In Damascus, a senior Hamas official called on Russia yesterday to play an important role in Middle East in order to end the “hegemony” of the United States in the region.
Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur by telephone from Qatar that Hamas leaders would soon accept the invitation of Russian President Putin to visit Moscow.
“The retreat of US policy in the region and its failure in a number of places has left a big vacuum, which should be filled by other superpowers,” he said.
