RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TERMS MOSCOW'S INVITATION TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 000745

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAL KWBG MNUC IS IR RS GOI EXTERNAL COUNTERTERRORISM ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TERMS MOSCOW'S INVITATION TO
HAMAS "A BOLD MOVE"

Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b,d).


1. (C) Summary: Russian Ambassador to Israel Gennady Tarasov
met with the Ambassador February 20, at the former's request,
to discuss the emerging GOI policy toward Hamas against the
backdrop of an increasingly politicized pre-election
atmosphere. Tarasov criticized the GOI for taking decisions
on altering its relationship with the Palestinian Authority
(PA) before the actual formation of a PA government. Tarasov
indicated that the early March visit by a Hamas delegation to
Moscow would not include a meeting with Russian President
Putin. He asserted that the GOR's diplomacy with Hamas is
meant to avert a cycle of Palestinian terrorism and GOI
retaliation. The Ambassador stressed the importance that
Hamas continue to receive the same message from all Quartet
members. He noted that the GOI's policy decisions on Hamas
appear open to maneuvering, particularly on humanitarian
assistance, and that the Israeli Cabinet decision appeared to
leave open a possibility for re-visiting the issue of tax
transfers. In response to Tarasov's queries, the Ambassador
dismissed media reports alleging a U.S.-Georgia agreement on
the use of the latter's military bases for a U.S. attack on
Iranian nuclear facilities and active U.S.-Israel cooperation
to topple a Hamas PA government. End Summary.

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Riding Israel's Turbulent Political Waters
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2. (C) Admittedly agitated Russian Ambassador Tarasov began
his February 20 meeting with the Ambassador by complaining
about what he characterized as the Israeli Russian-language
media's highly charged rhetoric on Hamas and Iran and about
the effect of the upcoming elections on Israel's political
dynamics. He pointed to a February 20 Knesset Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committee hearing earlier in the day
wherein Israel Security Agency head Yuval Diskin charged that
Hamas is a "strategic threat" to Israel. However, Tarasov
assessed the GOI's actual policy decisions on altering its
ties with the PA as "mild" compared to the political rhetoric
surrounding the issue. He praised Alternate PM Olmert and FM
Tzipi Livni for taking "a rather balanced approach," no
matter what their rhetoric has been. "No one benefits if the
(PA) economy collapses," he said. The Ambassador noted that
the language communicating the GOI Cabinet decision to halt
tax transfers to the PA was open to interpretation and also
allowed for some leeway on provision of humanitarian
assistance. Tarasov agreed, noting with relief that the GOI
had not ended the customs union or halted the flow of
Palestinian workers into Israel. The GOI decision is "not a
happy turn of events," Tarasov commented, but it is also not
"revolutionary."


3. (C) Nonetheless, Tarasov criticized the timing of the GOI
decision, asserting that the GOI should have taken action to
alter its relationship with the PA only after the actual
formation of a Hamas government, following the Quartet's
timeframe. Tarasov pointed to a February 20 Jerusalem Post
report claiming that National Security Council chief Giora
Eiland told the Cabinet February 19 that Israel would be
making a mistake by taking action before the formation of a
Hamas-led PA government.

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Tarasov Defends Invitation to Hamas
--------------


4. (C) In response to the Ambassador's query, Tarasov
confirmed that a Hamas delegation would visit Moscow at the
beginning of March, that the delegation would likely include
Hamas Political Bureau Director Khalid Misha'al, and that
President Putin would not meet the delegation. He said that
the GOI had let the GOR know its unhappiness about the
decision to invite Hamas when it was announced, but that the
tension has since somewhat dissipated. Tarasov characterized
the GOR's invitation as "a bold move," asserting that a
continued cycle of terrorism and Israeli retaliation would
ensue in the absence of any diplomatic engagement with Hamas.
He said that the GOR wanted to "do something" before any
"cut-off date" of engagement with the PA government. The
Ambassador stressed the critical need for all parties to
continue to give Hamas the same Quartet message that any
future PA government must recognize Israel's right to exist,
renounce violence, and adhere to prior agreements with
Israel. In response to Tarasov's query, the Ambassador
dismissed recent media speculation that the U.S. is working
with Israel to topple a Hamas-led PA. He stressed that the
U.S. is only working to sharpen the inherent contradiction in
Hamas's goals and was leaving open the opportunity for Hamas
to change.


5. (C) Tarasov assessed that Hamas does not speak with one
voice and that there had been those in Hamas who had
articulated a more realistic approach. The Ambassador said
that multiple voices contributed to Hamas's credibility
problems; in any event, the GOI remained highly skeptical of
any moderate statements coming out of Hamas.

--------------
Who Put Putin's Face on Bibi's Website?
--------------


6. (C) Turning to Israel's upcoming elections, Tarasov noted
he is in the process of meeting with most of the party heads.
He said that while he had not yet formally met with Likud
Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu, he spoke with him on the phone
to protest a Likud campaign ad that had appeared on the Likud
website. According to Tarasov, the ad featured a picture of
Putin, and stated that it was not Putin that put money in
Hamas's hands, but rather Olmert. (Note: The ad reportedly
showed the likeness of Putin morphing into a photo of Olmert.
End note.) Tarasov said that during an appearance along
with Likud's PR head MK Gideon Sa'ar on Channel 2 news to
discuss the ad, his press officer stressed that Russia does
not interfere with the domestic politics of other countries
and that the ad should be removed. Tarasov said that the
next day Netanyahu phoned him, claimed he was not aware of
the ad and promised it would be removed from the site.
(Note: Tarasov acknowledged that he is not sure if the ad was
removed or altered, but press reports indicate that it has
been removed. End note.)

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Iranians in Moscow
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7. (C) Referring to "the other big meal on our plate,"
Tarasov said that an Iranian delegation was already in Moscow
on February 20 to discuss the GOR's proposal on uranium
enrichment, but that no results had yet been announced.
After stressing the need for continued P-5 solidarity in the
face of Iran's challenges, the Ambassador noted that the IAEA
Board of Governors would take up ElBaradei's report on Iran's
nuclear program in March, after which the UNSC would consider
the matter. Turning again to the Israeli domestic politic
scene, Tarasov said he had some "small fear, rather
discomfort" about "how high the rhetoric will go" when media
attention on Hamas is coupled with reports on Iran.


8. (C) In closing, Tarasov asked the Ambassador about a
front-page February 20 Jerusalem Post article entitled, "U.S.
sounding out Georgia for Aid in Strike Against Iran," which,
Tarasov commented, might also be attributable to media
competition in a heated election climate. The Ambassador
underlined the unsubstantiated nature of this speculative
report.


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