BERLIN. (RIA Novosti political commentator Marianna Belenkaya) - The Mid-Eastern Quartet (Russia, the U.S., EU, and UN) has just held a high-level meeting in Berlin.
Although many experts had called it useless before it took place, its final news conference produces a number of interesting statements.
The main point is that Arab countries will now be involved in the Quartet's efforts. The forum's host, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said the situation had changed, and "we are finding Arab partners in Mid-Eastern settlement." He added that the Quartet would hold its following meeting in an Arab country, but did not specify where and when. There are three obvious options - Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan. It makes sense to fix the time for the Quartet's summit only after the Palestinian government of national unity starts working. Until this time, the situation is not likely to change.
These words are largely connected with the success of the talks in Mecca in early February, where the Saudis persuaded the Palestinians to establish a national unity government.
A statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also an important result of the Quartet's summit. He declared that Quartet experts would meet on March 13 to discuss ways of creating a mechanism for permanent rather than temporary aid to the Palestinians. The deadline for the cabinet's formation is March 22, and a simple comparison of dates shows that Lavrov was not engaging in diplomatic rhetoric when he said that the Quartet was not going to boycott the Palestinian government. The Quartet will not sit and wait for the new government's first moves - it intends to make life easier for the Palestinians now. This is the evidence of confidence in the Mecca accords.
There is one "but" though. Journalists asked about the "boycott" because throughout the news conference, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice kept chanting that there was no government of national unity which the U.S. could support. The Quartet's statement does not lift the financial blockade which was imposed on Palestine after the Hamas victory in January 2006.
There is a difference of principle in the positions of the U.S., on the one hand, and Russia, the EU, and UN, on the other. Realizing that Hamas is bound to head the new government and occupy several seats there, Washington adamantly demands that Hamas officially recognize Israel and give up violence. The Quartet's other three members believe that the Islamists have already met the world community halfway by promising to respect the Palestine Liberation Organization's commitments and the Arab League's resolutions.
Realizing that the word "respect" is non-committal, Russia, the EU, and UN are still leaning toward supporting the Palestinians. "It is necessary to encourage the new Palestinian government to accept the Quartet's criteria," Lavrov said. If the world community continues ignoring the government and talking only to Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), the situation will never leave the deadlock.
Incidentally, Abbas himself intends to cooperate with the Islamists. The agreements which he reached with Hamas in Mecca do not allow him to retreat. Also, as a seasoned and pragmatic politician, he understands that if the U.S. and Israel continue talking to him alone, they will deal a final blow at his authority.
Today, Abbas favors the Arab approach to Mid-Eastern settlement primarily represented by Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt. On the one hand, they stand for the alleviation of the Hamas position, and on the other, they want the world community to support financially and politically the Palestinian government of national unity.
These three countries are Washington's closest Arab allies, and it is no accident that during her visit to the Middle East, Condoleezza Rice held a meeting in Amman with representatives of their security services and intelligence. It seems that the U.S. has exhausted its diplomatic resource in respect of the Palestinians, and has no other choice but to rely on the mediation of its regional allies, if it cannot openly agree with his partners in the Quartet. But the problem is that the Arab approach is almost fully consonant with the positions of Russia, the EU, and UN. Incidentally, Moscow has spoken about the expediency of Arab involvement in the Quartet's work. This is what is happening now.
The question is whether the U.S. Arab allies and other members of the Quartet will manage to help Washington change its tactic towards the Palestinians without losing face. Will Washington agree to do this?
In the final count, this is in American interests, and not with a view to saving Washington's status of the main go-between in Arab-Israeli settlement. The main goal for the U.S. is not to allow deeper radicalization of the Middle East. This will also benefit the Arab countries, Europe, and Russia.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.
