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Russia in Syria: Threats and Opportunities for Israel
(i24News-Ynet-Hebrew) Ron Ben-Yishai - At the weekend, 27 Sukhoi fighter jets and other types of military aircraft landed in Syria, flown directly from the south of Russia via Iran and Iraq. The Russian soldiers and weaponry, intended to protect the Assad regime against Islamist rebels, are hampering Israel's freedom of action in Syria and Lebanon. On the other hand, the Russian military presence may also increase stability in the region and prevent a confrontation between Israel and the radical Shiite axis led by Iran. This is precisely why Netanyahu sought a meeting with President Putin: to ensure and even increase the stability north of Israel's border. Netanyahu's goal is preventing unwanted encounters between Russian fighter jets and Israeli anti-aircraft missiles and aircraft, or the crossing of Israel's border in the Golan Heights by Russian aircraft in the service of Assad's army.