Is Putins Hamas Overture A Calculated Risk?
By Victor Yasmann Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unexpected decision to invite the leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas for talks in Moscow has had a mixed reaction in Israel, the Arab world, and beyond. Explaining his decision, which followed a solid win by Hamas in January’s Palestinian parliamentary elections, Putin said that Russia — unlike the United States and the European Union — had never declared the group a terrorist organization. Moreover, he said the world should accept that Hamas won the election fair and square, in a “democratic way.” Hamas does not recognize Israel, and it has claimed responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks. So Putin’s overture has raised concerns in the United States, the United Nations, and the EU — Russia’s three partners in the Middle East quartet responsible for drafting the “road map” Middle East peace plan. Middle East ‘Begins In The Caucasus’ Because Russia made its move unilaterally, its fellow quartet members may susp
