Israeli-Russian Relations

[American_Jihad]

'Tacit Consent' in Israeli-Russian Relations
Moscow is not interfering with Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Syria.
December 8, 2016
Joseph Puder

One of the most interesting stories, if not the most puzzling, is the close understanding and amity between Jerusalem and Moscow. While the Russian Air Force pounds the civilian population in Aleppo on behalf of the Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and his Iranian allies, Russia is coordinating the moves of its Air Force in Syria with Israel’s Air Force. Moscow is not interfering with Israeli attacks on Hezbollah convoys carrying lethal arms shipped to Syria by Iran, as the Shiite terrorist group is attempting to move these arms to Lebanon. Walla, a Hebrew language Israeli news outlet wrote on December 1, 2016 that “Russia’s silence following reports that the Israeli Air Force bombed an arms depot and a Hezbollah bound weapons convoy in Syria on Wednesday might signal ‘tacit consent’ to such action as long as they do not harm Kremlin’s interests.” Israel, on its part, is staying out of the civil war in Syria, but provides medical assistance to wounded opposition fighters combatting the Assad regime.

The Obama administration failure to act on its announced “Red Line,” (on Assad’s use of chemical warfare on fellow Syrians) and subsequently leaving the Syrian arena in Russian hands, has damaged U.S. credibility in the region. It has also encouraged Russia to take aggressive action against opposition forces supported by the U.S., and Syrian civilians.

...

Putin’s Russia alliance with the Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and the repressive Islamic Republic of Iran notwithstanding, to watch the warm reception Benjamin Netanyahu received in the Kremlin by his host Vladimir Putin is most certainly eyebrow raising, if not an amazing phenomenon. Considering decades of Soviet support for Israel’s enemies, and oppression of its Jews, Putin’s Russia has a rather warm spot for the remaining Jews in Russia, and satisfaction with the Russian cultural enclave in Israel. In fact, outside the former Soviet Union, Israel has probably the largest Russian speaking population. Putin felt at home when he visited Israel, first in April, 2005, as he met for discussions with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. In June, 2012, Putin was in Israel again on an official visit. This time, he unveiled the national monument honoring the memory of Jewish soldiers in the Red Army who fought the Nazis in WWII. He also met with PM Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. Reuter’s story by Josh Cohen on January 14, 2016 was headlined, “Vladimir Putin is the closest thing to a friend Israel has ever had in Moscow.” And yet, Putin’s Russia has continued to vote with the Palestinians at the UN, has helped Iran with its nuclear program, and sold missiles to both Iran and Syria.

Stalin, the Soviet Union murderous tyrant was one of the first to recognize the Jewish state in 1948, and sold arms through Czechoslovakia to the nascent Jewish nation. At the same time, Stalin ordered the murder of Jewish anti-fascist leaders in Russia, and made anti-Semitism a state policy. Following the Six-Day war in 1967, the Soviet Union severed diplomatic relations with Israel, and during the War of Attrition (1969-1970), Soviet pilots flew missions for the Egyptians. Israeli pilots engaged and downed a number of Soviet pilots (Israel never publicized it in order not to inflame the Russians). During the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the Soviets were heavily involved with the Arab war machine against Israel, providing Egypt and Syria with huge quantities of arms, including lethal missiles.

The last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, renewed diplomatic ties with Israel in 1991. Putin’s personal admiration for Israel elevated its profile in Russian foreign policy. The Arab market for Russian arms is a lucrative one, and it is therefore pragmatism that motivates Putin along with personal sympathy for Israel and Jews. Israel’s experience with Islamist terrorism made it sympathetic to Russia in its 1999 war in Chechnya, which dealt with combatting Islamist terror. The Jerusalem Post quoted Putin telling Netanyahu that Israel and Russia are “unconditional allies” in the war against terror. In fact, Putin was one of the few world leaders to support Israel’s Operation Protective Edge against Hamas in 2014. Putin is quoted as saying, “I support Israel’s battle that is intended to keep its citizens protected.”

In 2008, Israel made significant gestures towards Putin’s Russia. It transferred to Russia parts of the Russian Orthodox compound (Sergei courtyard) in Jerusalem. In the same year, Israel halted military supplies to Georgia (at war with Russia at the time) for a Russian promise not to sell the S-300 air-defense system to Iran. Israel has also been neutral in the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine. It did not condone Russian aggression there, but seeks to avoid alienating Moscow. For the same reason, Israel abstained on a UN vote that condemned Russia for its annexation of Crimea.

The Obama administration’s open dislike for Netanyahu’s government, has forced Israel to look elsewhere for support. Avigdor Lieberman, (a native of Moldavia, part of the former Soviet Union) Israel’s former Foreign Minister and current Defense Minister greatly enhanced Russian-Israeli relations. The incoming Trump administration, seeking to reset relations with Russia, might find Israel to be a trusted go-between in dealing with Putin. This might aid the incoming U.S. administration, while at the same time further strengthen Israeli-Russian relations.

'Tacit Consent' in Israeli-Russian Relations

 

[aris2chat]

Turkey wants Assad out.
Turkey fires on Russian planes.
Erdogan tries to blackmail EU with treat of opening doors to refugees flooding europe.
Turkey reestablishes relations with Israel, leaving hamas out in the cold.
Abbas accuses Dahlan of killing Arafat.
Egypt refurbishes old consulate in gaza, but keeps crossing closed, except a few days a year, and floods tunnels.
Israel fires on hezbullah and IS in Syria.
Arabs are opening relations with Israel.

Oh, what a complex web.......so what's new?

Nothing in the middle east is straight forward, never has been.

 

[TheOldSchool]

Yes let's leave Russia to deal with the ME. 2 birds with 1 stone.

 

[American_Jihad]

Israel Walks the Walk

Israel demonstrates its resolve to thwart weapons transfers to Iran’s terror proxy.
December 14, 2016
Ari Lieberman

Last week, Israel’s defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, announced that Israel was working tirelessly to thwart Iranian weapons transfers to Hezbollah via Syria. For the first time, Lieberman hinted that in addition to sophisticated weaponry, Hezbollah was seeking to acquire WMDs. The defense minister also noted that Israel would operate to preserve its interests “without taking other circumstances or restrictions into account.” Presumably, this means that regardless of the prospects of Hezbollah-Iranian retaliation or the presence of a Russian anti-aircraft umbrella, Israel will continue to act when its interests are threatened.

Lieberman’s tough talk followed a series of Israeli strikes against military targets within Syria. The first targeted a Hezbollah weapons convoy travelling along the Beirut-Damascus highway while a second strike hit a Syrian military compound just outside Damascus housing elements of Syria’s 4th Armored Division. A third attack on December 7 targeted Mezzeh Air Base in western Damascus. A number of secondary explosions occurred following the attack indicating direct hits.

Assad’s propaganda outlet, Sana, as well as the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen TV channel blamed Israel for the Mezzeh attack though the former claimed the strike was carried out with surface-to-surface missiles while the latter alleged that it was executed by fighter jets flying over “Lebanese airspace.”

Following the attacks, Arab media reported that Russia had warned Hezbollah, and by extension Iran, not to retaliate. Russia’s interest in Syria is to ensure the survival of its air and naval facilities centered in or near Latakia and Tartus. Putin has no interest in needlessly antagonizing the Israelis and any form of Iranian or Hezbollah retaliation serves no Russian purpose and may in fact, undermine Moscow’s goals.

Hezbollah was quick to deny the Arab media reports terming them “incorrect and completely invented.” Despite the fact that Hezbollah uses principally Russian weapons and is wholly subservient to Iranian interests, it continues to maintain the façade of an independent, indigenous “resistance” organization. That is why Arab media reports of Russian warnings to the terror group provoked an immediate temperamental response but it is likely that those media reports were accurate.

In Syria, Putin pulls the strings and but for Moscow’s intervention, Assad’s position would be extremely precarious. It is therefore likely that Russia put the kibosh on any thought of Hezbollah retaliation as that kind of action would antagonize Israel and run counter to Russian interests.

On Sunday, in a 60 Minutes interview with Leslie Stahl, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu classified Israel’s relations with Russia as “amicable.” That description might be bit of an understatement. At a recent conference hosted by the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russia’s envoy to the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov termed relations between Moscow and Jerusalem “at their highest point ever.”

...

Israel Walks the Walk

 

[aris2chat]

France and Russia are move to host a peace deal for Israel-palestinians

Russia did not interfere when Israel attacked syrian/hezbullah positions in syria over firing on the golan. Nor the catch of Iranian arms being smuggled into gaza

nothing in the middle east is ever simple

layers within layers

webs inside of webs

 

[Roudy]

France and Russia are move to host a peace deal for Israel-palestinians

Russia did not interfere when Israel attacked syrian/hezbullah positions in syria over firing on the golan. Nor the catch of Iranian arms being smuggled into gaza

nothing in the middle east is every simple

layers within layers

webs inside of webs

Sometimes it's the enemy of my enemy, sometimes it's the enemy of my friend. It all depends on which way the wind is blowing and how strong it is, at that particular time. It's always a fluid, rapidly changing and evolving situation. And nobody has mastered this fluidity and complexity like the Israelis. The proof is in the pudding.

 

[American_Jihad]

THE TRIANGLE OF MOSCOW, TEHRAN AND JERUSALEM
Russia finds itself having to make a choice between Iran and Israel.
March 28, 2017

Joseph Puder

Earlier this month, Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Moscow for a meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. In a statement prior to his meeting with Putin, Netanyahu praised the Russian leader for his contribution and the significant progress made in the fight against the radical Sunni Islamic terrorism of the Islamic State (IS) and Al Qaida. The thrust of Netanyahu’s statement was that Israel does not want to see radical Sunni jihadist terrorism replaced by Iran’s radical Shiite terrorism.

Russia finds itself being pursued by two bitter enemies: Iran and Israel. Russia has clearly staked its credibility, and invested its resources including its air-power, in keeping its ally, President Bashar Assad of Syria, in power. Iran likewise, has a stake in keeping an ally (Bashar Assad) who happens to be a member of the Alawi sect (a Shiite breakaway sect), a minority among Syria’s Sunni majority, in power. Tehran is also seeking to maintain its controlling influence in Damascus (Syria), and Beirut (in addition to the more remote Baghdad and Sanaa), both which border the Jewish state.

For Israel, however, Iran’s meddling in Syria and its efforts to establish itself on the border of Israel, through its terrorist-client Hezbollah, poses a serious if not an existential threat. Avi Dichter, the chair of Israel's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said Iran had tried several times in the past to move forces into the Golan Heights, next to territory that Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Netanyahu has said that Israel has carried out dozens of strikes to prevent weapons smuggling to the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah via Syria. Two years ago, Israel and Russia agreed to coordinate military actions over Syria in order to avoid accidentally trading fire.

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There remains one imponderable factor…how will things change between Russia and the U.S. under President Trump. The odds are that Russia’s interests would favor Tehran, certainly in terms of solidifying its gains in Syria. Thus, if the chips fall, Moscow will turn to Tehran rather than to Jerusalem. If, however, relations between Moscow and the Trump administration warm, and the sanctions against Russia are lifted, it would appear that Jerusalem might come out the winner. In such a scenario, Netanyahu’s close relationship with Putin and Trump might serve Israel well.

The Triangle of Moscow, Tehran and Jerusalem

 

[montelatici]

"17:59 28/03/2017 World
Putin hails Iran as Russia’s reliable and stable partner


Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that Iran is Russia’s good neighbor and reliable partner.
"Russia and Iran share many years, if not centuries, of bilateral cooperation. We have maintained diplomatic relations for more than 500 years," Putin said as he began talks with Iran’s visiting President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday, according to TASS agency."

Putin hails Iran as Russia’s reliable and stable partner