Vladimir Putin’s trip last week to Israel was the first ever by a Russian president. An elated Israel Vice Premier Shimon Peres described Putin’s visit as “historic” stating, “This is a sign of the changes that have occurred in Russia itself, in Israel-Russia relations and in Russian policy in the Middle East.”
During his visit to Israel, Putin met with Israeli President Moshe Katsav, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom. Putin was also scheduled to visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, meet with Jewish Red Army WWII veterans and visit the Russian Orthodox Church at Gethsemane.
Russia’s checkered history with Israel made Putin’s visit extremely intriguing. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Russia helped Israel obtain arms to fight a contingent of hostile countries that included Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan. However, after this initial cooperation, relations between the two countries quickly soured with Russia threatening to attack Israel during both
the 1956 Sinai Campaign and the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Russia also strongly opposed the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries remained icy for over forty years, with the former Soviet Union playing a key role in helping vengeful Arab states such as Syria, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Algeria and Iraq improve their military capabilities by providing state-of-the-art weaponry and training.
Seeing an opportunity to increase Russia’s influence in the Middle East, Putin now wants feelings of animosity extinguished and past threats to be forgotten. He is determined to transform Russia’s Cold-War image as a regional instigator and arms proliferator into one of a peacemaker and stabilizer.
Meeting in Cairo last week, Putin called for a Middle East peace conference in Moscow this year: “I am suggesting that we should convene a conference for all these countries concerned and the Quartet [the U.S., Russia, UN and EU], next autumn.” But even before Putin’s trip to the Middle East, there were noticeable signs that the frigid relationship between Israel and Russia was beginning to thaw.
Economic, defense and anti-terrorist cooperation between Israel and Russia has increased substantially over the past several years. Israel’s trade with Russia totaled $550 million in 2004, according to a survey by the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce. In addition, Israel purchased $1.5 billion worth of Russian energy products in 2004.
In April, Russia announced it would supply 100 RD-93 fighter jet engines to China as part of a $267 million deal for the new Ch FC-1 fighter developed by China, Pakistan, Israel and Russia. Anti-terrorist cooperation continues to be a key component of the Israel-Russia bilateral relationship, as the head of Israel’s National Security Council, Giora Eiland, has visited Russia twice recently.
Putin continues to reach out to leaders in the Middle East, saying he is ready to take a leadership role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In a statement to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, Putin, expressing his desire for a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, said: “Russia has sincere relations with Israel because so many Russians live in Israel. We are interested in their fate and want them to live in a secure environment.”
But even with his visit to the Holy Land and expanded bilateral cooperation between Russia and Israel, critical questions remain unanswered concerning Putin’s real intentions in the Middle East and Russia’s ultimate role in the peace process.
In this regard, Putin has made two glaring political mistakes that have diminished his credibility with Israel and the global Jewish community, namely, the sale of advanced missile systems to Syria and Russian assistance in the construction of the Bushehr nuclear reactor in Iran. In addition, Putin’s role in confronting his own country’s growing anti-Semitism problem and his