GAZA CITY, 13 February 2006 — Russia’s plans to talk to Palestinian election winners Hamas drew a low-key response yesterday from Israeli interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, according to remarks attributed to him by a government official.
“I think the Russian position is mistaken, as I have stated. But from what they said to us during the weekend, they will demand Hamas recognize Israel and give up terror,” the official quoted Olmert as telling his Cabinet at its weekly meeting.
However, Olmert was quoted as telling the meeting that once the Palestinian Parliament was sworn in, the Palestinian Authority would become a Hamas Authority.
“From the minute the Palestinian Parliament is sworn in, the rules of the game will change and we do not wink at anyone our no is a no, and if we say yes we mean yes,” he added.
In Gaza, the newly elected legislator Mushir Al-Masri reiterated that Hamas would never recognize the state of Israel under any circumstances and Hamas would never give up its arms and will not abandon the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the movement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he would invite leaders of Hamas to Moscow for talks following its victory in the Jan. 25 Palestinian parliamentary election.
Putin’s announcement, seen by political commentators as a bid to reclaim the influential role Moscow once had in Middle East affairs, challenged US-led resistance to dealing with Hamas until it recognizes Israel and renounces violence.
Hamas has rejected those conditions, also raised by Israel, saying it had a legitimate right to “resist occupation.” It said its leaders, who agreed to a truce with Israel a year ago, would accept Putin’s invitation once it was tendered formally.
Russia, along with the United States, European Union and United Nations is part of a Quartet of Middle East peace mediators.
Olmert’s comments, following tough criticism by some ministers over the weekend of Moscow’s initiative, appeared aimed at avoiding a rift with Putin, who became last April the first Kremlin leader to visit Israel.
In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Russian Middle East envoy Alexander Kalugin discussed Hamas with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and reaffirmed that Moscow aimed to persuade the group to pursue peace.
“We will ask Hamas to change their position according to the latest decisions of the Quartet, which are recognition of Israel, rejection of terrorism and execution of the Palestinian Authority’s past agreements (with Israel),” Kalugin said, echoing remarks he made to the Interfax news agency on Friday.
In fresh criticism of Russia, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni cautioned in an Israel Radio interview against what she called a “slippery slope” that could lead other nations to compromise with Hamas.
— With input from agencies
