“Russian President Vladimir Putin has no one who wants to play with him. Maybe they’re not Soviets, but if they act along the same old patterns, they’re the same old bad actors,” she said.Īnother reason for the Russian embrace of Hamas is that its options in terms of international diplomacy have shrunk, as Russia has become a “pariah” on the world stage with its invasion of Ukraine. Noting that the Soviet Union set up special schools to train terrorists, Geifman said not much has changed despite 25 years of “supposed democracy.” “You can call them anything you like. It’s not even a question of talking-it’s collaborating,” she said. “The Russians have always played the anti-Israel, or anti-Western, card whenever it was convenient for them, from the Soviet days. “The message may be: ‘If you become our enemy, we’re going to deal with your enemies,’” she said.įor Geifman, the important point is that this isn’t something new. Of the current meeting, Frisch said it was unclear what specifically Russia may have found objectionable about Israeli statements or actions.Īnna Geifman, senior researcher at Bar-Ilan University’s department of political science, told JNS that it might be a general warning, a way for Russia to tell Israel that if it takes a “wrong step” it will strengthen relations with the region’s hostile actors. “The Russians typically use meetings with Hamas to signal displeasure with Israel, perhaps in relation to Ukraine,” Hillel Frisch, senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), told JNS.Ī noteworthy aspect of the May meeting is that it came a month after Israel Prime Minister Yair Lapid, then foreign minister, accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, specifically in relation to alleged atrocities committed outside Kyiv. Analysts speculate that Moscow’s invitation to Hamas, like an earlier one in May, is meant to send a message of dissatisfaction to Israel. 10 at the head of a senior delegation from the terror group for talks with Russian officials.

(JNS) Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Moscow on Sept.

Battle nations goliath tank