A special Russian delegation arrived in Israel, as part of efforts by Jerusalem and Moscow to bolster the coordinated mechanism between their two respective militaries in Syria.
A special Russian delegation arrived in Israel yesterday, as part of efforts by Jerusalem and Moscow to bolster the coordinated mechanism between their two respective militaries in Syria. The Russian delegation’s visit, which is kept relatively quiet thus far, is viewed by Israel as highly important, as it symbolizes the Kremlin’s intention to alleviate the crisis that emerged after the Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down in Syria, some three months ago, amid an Israeli aerial assault against Iranian targets. According to Israeli officials, over the past few days Moscow had attempted to normalize relations with Israel by expressing its disapproval of the Hezbollah-dug tunnels to the Lebanese government, demanding it prevent further violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and deal with the tunnels as soon as possible to avoid an escalation.