Is Moscow a likely matchmaker between Israelis, Palestinians?
Russia continues to step up its diplomatic game in the Middle East by reinforcing ties with Israelis and Palestinians and allowing its stances to evolve.
Russia is hoping its persistence pays off in the Middle East as it seeks to broker talks between the Palestinians and Israelis.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin used the occasion of Russia’s Victory Day, May 9, to once again exchange views on key Middle East issues: Syrian civil war resolution, Iranian politics in the region and Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution.
The next day, Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas arrived at the Russian southern resort town of Sochi to have a personal meeting with Putin. One of the official reasons for the visit was the opening ceremony of the Bethlehem sports and cultural center that had been built by Russians. The two leaders together watched the live broadcast of the event.
Contentwise, though, most of the meeting was dedicated to Palestinian-Israeli conflict resolution, with two major issues on the table: direct Israeli-Palestinian talks in Moscow under the auspices of the Russian government, and the new Israeli law that enables construction of new settlements in the West Bank.
