This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

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. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Riding Israel's Turbulent Political Waters 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶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. 
 
----------------------------------- 
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.) 
 
------------------ 
Iranians in Moscow 
------------------ 
 
¶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. 
 
 
********************************************* ******************** 
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
Classified SIPRNET website. 
********************************************* ******************** 
JONES