Quarterly Updates for (16 Feb 2011 — 15 May 2011)

In the absence of Quartet meetings on the peace process and P5+1 meeting on Iran, Russia largely monitored events in the region this quarter but kept lines of communication open. PA Pres. Abbas met (3/22) in Moscow with Russian pres. Dmitri Medvedev, who expressed concern over the stalled peace talks and reaffirmed support for creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Days later, on 3/24, Israeli PM Netanyahu also met in Moscow with Medvedev, asking him to halt arms sales to Syria and increase pressure on Iran to end its nuclear program. Medvedev did not comment publicly. The following week, Israeli chief negotiator Molcho and Israeli FMin. legal adviser Daniel Taub made (3/30) a secret trip to meet with Russian FM Sergei Lavrov, Russian special envoy to the Middle East Sergei Yakovlev, and other senior Russian officials. The purpose of the Israeli visit was to urge Russia not to support the EU call for an international peace initiative at the Quartet session in mid-4/2011 and to brief Russia on plans for a major policy speech by Netanyahu (see “Netanyahu Maneuvers” above); no details were released.

Of note: On the eve of Netanyahu’s visit to Moscow, Israel complied (3/21) with a 2008 court decision to return to Russian ownership Sergei’s Courtyard, a prominent Jerusalem landmark built in 1890 to accommodate Russian pilgrims to the Holy Land.