Israel urges Russia to back fence at UN

Jerusalem Post ^ | Sep. 6, 2004 | HERB KEINON

[yonif]

The terrorist outrage in Beslan forged a greater solidarity between Russia and Israel but did not erase fundamental policy differences, Israeli diplomatic officials made clear Monday following the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said he told Lavrov that Israel now expects Russia not to support a Palestinian resolution at the United Nations on the fence issue later this month, which calls for sanctions against Israel. Russia voted against Israel on this issue when it was brought to the General Assembly in July.

In their 90-minute meeting in Jerusalem, Shalom pointed out that in the last 21 UN votes relating to Israel, Russia voted against Israel 17 times and abstained on four occasions.

Shalom, at a joint press conference with Lavrov after their meeting, said that Israel is looking toward the Russian UN delegation "to oppose the ongoing Palestinian campaign against Israel and to reject their anti-Israeli initiatives, designed to hurt Israel and divert attention from their own obligations. It is clear that the solutions to the Palestinian issue lie in Ramallah and Gaza, not in New York or The Hague."

During a day of meetings, Lavrov heard Israel offer Russia a wide range of assistance, from medical aid for children suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, to sending medical teams to the area, to dispatching counterterror advisers and upgrading intelligence cooperation. At least 335 people, nearly half of them children, were killed in last week's hostage drama in a school in Beslan.

Before meeting Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Lavrov reiterated Russian President Vladimir Putin's gratitude for Israel's offers of help and expertise in Russia's fight against terror. "As I stay in Israel these days I know that some specific steps have already been taken by our respective agencies," Lavrov said.

"Terrorism has no nationality, it is an international evil. We will do everything in our power to strengthen the global coalition against terror, in which Israel and Russia are very active."

Sharon, in his comments, reiterated Israel's deep empathy with Russia's plight. "We share the disaster that hit Russia, which fell victim to a horrible act of terror," he said. "We ourselves are victims of Arab Palestinian terror for over 100 years. We are familiar with the cruelty of Palestinian terror."

"The terror that hit Russia is the same that is hitting us here in Israel. We know that there can be no compromise with terror. We have to fight, overpower, and defeat terror."

Earlier in the day, Lavrov said in comments made after meeting Labor Party head Shimon Peres that while he appreciates Israel's offers of help, Israel is only one of a number of countries in the region with which Russia coordinates on security issues.

"Terrorism doesn't have any nationalities," Lavrov said. "I believe the key to the solution... is to bring all countries to fight terror and I can assure you that in addition to our very close counterterrorist cooperation with Israel we have similar counterterrorist cooperation with Arab countries."

In his press conference with Shalom, Lavrov said that in addition to fighting terror, there are a number of other issues that Israel and Russia need to address together, including nuclear proliferation, organized crime, and the Mideast conflict. Lavrov said that the Mideast conflict can only be solved with the help of the international community – namely the UN and the Quartet – within the framework of the road map. He said that Russia supports Sharon's disengagement plan if it is taken within the context of the road map.

Regarding Iran, Shalom said that he raised with Lavrov "the urgent need to address the danger to the entire international community posed by Iran's nuclear program. The international pressure on Iran must be intensified dramatically if we are to prevent Iran's nuclear ambitions, and Russia, once again, has a key role to play in this effort."

During their meeting, according to Israeli officials, Lavrov told Shalom that if Israel has specific information about Iran, they should bring it to Moscow's attention. Saying that Russia is "the last country interested in an Iran armed with nuclear weapons," Lavrov said he feels that often Iran is "used as a slogan." "If you have leads," he said, "bring them to us."

Lavrov said that Iran feels it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against the type of campaign the US waged against Iraq. "The next time anyone wants to attack one of the countries in the axis of evil," he said, in a jab at the US, "they should first come with proof [of weapons of mass destruction]."

Shalom also raised the issue of Syria's continued occupation of Lebanon, and the involvement of terrorist groups based in Damascus in attacks on Israel. Lavrov is scheduled to hold meetings in Damascus on Tuesday before returning to Russia.

In the course of his meeting with President Moshe Katsav, the Russian foreign minister was asked by journalists whether the Chechen terrorist atrocities would lead to closer cooperation between Russia and Israel, given Israel's greater experience in dealing with terrorism.

Russia and Israel are both participants in the counterterrorist coalition, said Lavrov, and feel the need to make the coalition more efficient and effective.

He was not quite as forthright in his response to a question as to whether Russia would change its foreign policy with regard to Syria, Iran, and Saudi Arabia in view of the fact that there were Arabs engaged in the recent terrorist activities against Russian nationals as well as in a previous terrorist attack in a theater. Declaring that terrorists have neither borders nor nationalities, Lavrov said that Russia also has similar antiterrorist cooperation with Arab countries, including those mentioned above. "The key to the solution of this problem is to bring all countries to fight against terrorism," he said. "It is only by joint efforts that you can fight this evil."

Lavrov brought Katsav a message from President Vladimir Putin, who expressed appreciation for Israel's reaction to the terrorist attack and the outpouring of condolences by Israeli leaders.

Katsav told Lavrov that in the global struggle against terrorism, one of the most important guidelines was never to find any justification or understanding for terrorist activities. To justify or try to understand would be a signal of encouragement for terrorism to continue, Katsav explained.

Lavrov agreed but said at the same time that some of the factors that contribute to terrorism, such as stark economic conditions, should be dealt with. Katsav understood that he was referring to the Palestinians, and became even more insistent that there was absolutely nothing that could justify terrorism.

Counterterrorism is only one area in which there is close cooperation between Russia and Israel. Lavrov told Katsav that despite occasional differences, dialogues at all levels between the two countries are very friendly.

Lavrov headed for Damascus Monday evening but said he was not asked to carry any messages from Israel.

[TheBattman]

In the face of terrorism that very much resembles what Israel has been enduring for so long, how can Russia NOT back Israel's anti-terrorist actions?

[Grampa Dave]

Good for the leaders of Israel.

If they and we allow Russia to act like the old Russia, they will not learn. They will continue to back Islamofascists in the UN and sell them dangerous skills and products.

[loboinok]

"The next time anyone wants to attack one of the countries in the axis of evil," he said, in a jab at the US, "they should first come with proof [of weapons of mass destruction]."

Russia has the same pictures and proof of Iraqi WMDs' as the world.They are more interested in Getting the U.S to tip their hand in intelligence gathering capabilities.