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French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy with Palestinian President Mahmoued Abbas during a visit in September 2005
Photo: MAE
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Distancing itself from the European Union’s position, France said Friday it is backing the decision of Russian president Vladimir Putin to invite leaders of the Hamas group to Moscow, saying “the move could help advance the peace process.”
“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 deputy spokesman Denis Simonneau declared.
He reiterated however that the Palestinian group, who won a crushing victory in legislative elections last month and is expected to form a government within two or three months, should renounce violence and recognize Israel, as emanded by the Quartet. “France’s position on Hamas remains the one we have reiterated throughout the past few days,” Simmoneau said.
The French statement came after President Putin, while on a visit to Spain, said on Thursday that “Russia is maintaining contacts with the Hamas organisation and intends in the near future to invite the leadership of this organization to Moscow.”
Explaining his decision, 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.”
Hamas leaders have accepted Putin’s invitation.
Follow Russia’s lead?
On Friday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said that Russia would use a planned meeting with Hamas representatives to urge recognition of Israel and support for Middle East peace.
He 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.
Some sources said the Hamas’ visit could take place at the end of this month.
According to diplomatic sources in Brussels, Russia’s invitation came as a “surprise” as it opens a rift with the co-members of the Middle East Quartet of peace negotiators, the United States, the EU and the United Nations, who said at the end of last month in London that talks with Hamas could only take place if the group renounce violence and recognize the State of Israel. The Quartet drafted and sponsored the June 2003 “roadmap” peace plan.
An Austrian diplomatic source in Brussels told EJP that the basis of the EU’s policy remains the latest statement issued by the Quartet. “Every step has to comply with this basis and I am convinced that Russia will comply with it,” the source said.
Austria is currently holding the rotating European Union presidency.
The French foreign ministry deputy spokesman said Russia did not consult its international partners about its initiative. “But we believe that it is an initiative that can contribute to advancing our positions,” Simmonneau added.
“We share with Russia the goal of leading Hamas toward positions that would allow for the goal of two states living in peace and security to be reached,” the French foreign ministry spokesman said.
He said France could only consider having talks with Hamas if the group renounces violence and recognizes Israel and the Oslo peace accords.
The United States and the European Union have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization and banned all contact with its leaders unless they renounce violence and recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Hamas, responsible for dozens of suicide bombings in Israel, so far has rejected calls to change its positions.
International confusion
The European Union, which is the biggest financial donor to the Palestinian Authority, has so far adopted a “wait-and-see” position towards Hamas, giving the winner of the Palestinian elections more time to form a government “committed to a peaceful and negotiated solution of the conflict with Israel.”
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is due in Israel and the Palestinian territories on Sunday, but a German official has insisted: “He is definitely not going to talk to Hamas.”
Turkey, which is striving to join the EU and is a NATO member, has announced its intention to deal with Hamas both as a “party” and as a government.
According to Russia’s Gazeta newspaper, President Putin’s “was trying to take the lead" with his statement.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s remark that Russia will have a decisive role in the Middle East peace process, it adds, “may be seen as a hint that Spain and the European Union "recognize the defeat, or at least a serious ’skidding’, of US foreign policy" on the issue, the newspaper commented.
Israel and US furious
Israel criticized Putin’s decision, saying it undercut international pressure on Hamas to recognize the Jewish state and to renounce violence after its election victory.
In an interview with the New York Sun, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni warned that some members of the international community were attempting to compromise with Hamas.
"There is a tendency sometimes among some in the international community to try and understand, to reach agreements, to take a backward step," said the foreign minister who is visiting the United States.
"Any weakness… will result in a negative effect - not only for Israel, but also for the Palestinian people and for the international community," Livni said in the interview.
Like Israel, the U.S. government expressed its amazement with Russian President Vladamir Putin’s invitation to Hamas. A U.S. official asked how Russia would respond to a U.S. invitation for Chechen rebels to visit Washington.
French Jewish organization deplores
The umbrella group of French Jewish organizations, CRIF, has criticized France’s support of Putin’s initiative.
“The CRIF deplores France’s statement to approve the Hamas invitation by Russia and its haste. It recalls that Hamas bears a project of destruction of the State of Israel and is on the European Union list of terrorist organizations,” a communique said.
“The Russian initiative is a first dangerous step in the way of renouncing the principles of firmness adopted by the international community,” the CRIF stressed.