'We won't recognise Israel'
2006-03-03 14:09
Moscow - Hamas's political leader on Friday bluntly rejected any discussion of the militant group's refusal to recognise Israel, dealing a setback to Moscow's effort to persuade it to soften its stance.
"The issue of recognition (of Israel) is a decided issue," said Hamas' exiled political leader Khaled Mashaal upon arrival in Moscow for talks with Russian officials. "We don't intend to recognise Israel."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was scheduled to receive Mashaal in what will be Hamas' highest-profile foreign visit since winning Palestinian parliamentary elections in January. The Hamas delegation is set to have talks with a Lavrov deputy, Alexander Saltanov, as well as Russian lawmakers, and meet Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II.
Russia's invitation, extended by President Vladimir Putin, was the first crack in an international front against the group, considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the European Union and United States. Hamas has sent dozens of suicide bombers to Israel and does not accept the presence of a Jewish state in the Middle East.
Avoid further damage
Israel's acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert insisted on Friday that the international community must maintain a united front against Hamas and said that Russia has promised to limit its contacts with Hamas in the future.
"In recent days, I received messages from Russian President Putin, which talk about restrictions of their contacts with Hamas and support the principles we laid before the Palestinians and which have the support of the Quartet (of Mideast mediators)," Olmert said on Friday.
In an apparent attempt to avoid further damage in relations with Israel, Putin decided against personally meeting the Palestinian delegation, which will have only a sightseeing tour of the Kremlin on Sunday.
Putin on Friday had a phone conversation with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss the Mideast situation "in light of working contacts with the Hamas leadership," the Kremlin said in a terse statement.
An Israeli official speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of Russia-Israeli relations said Israel also expects Moscow to clearly condemn Mashaal's refusal on Friday to discuss recognising Israel.
After arriving in Moscow, Mashaal accused Israel of blocking the Mideast peace process and said Israel's "occupation" of Palestinian lands will top the agenda in the Moscow talks.
"No conditions will be put forward during our visit to Moscow," Mashaal said. "We will listen to Russia's position and clarify ours."
Russia's special Middle East envoy, Alexander Kalugin, said the aim of the talks was not to dictate conditions to Hamas but to use persuasion.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mark Regev warned on Friday that the global community must speak to Hamas in "one clear voice" to urge it to recognise Israel.
- AP