A chill has descended on relations between Israel and Russia after Moscow reached out to the Jewish state’s arch-foe Damascus against the backdrop of the Georgia conflict.
Israel, which maintains friendly ties with Georgia and has sold weapons to the Eurasian country — as have several Western nations — fears Moscow will exact a price for this support by boosting its ties with Syria.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won promises of fresh arms sales during a visit to Russia this week. He said Moscow could again become a bulwark against the West and help resist Israeli influence in the Middle East.
Israel is particularly concerned Russia could deliver anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to Syria that could end up in the hands of Lebanon’s Syrian-backed Hezbollah militia whose political rhetoric centers on the destruction of the Jewish state.
“A reinforcement of links between Damascus and Moscow amounts to a very negative development,” said Tazhi Hanegvi, who heads the Israeli parliament’s foreign affairs and defense committee.
“It would push Syria to adopt an irresponsible and adventurist policy,” he said.
The US, Israel’s main ally, also expressed concern over the prospect of a Russian weapon sale to Syria.
“We are obviously very concerned about reports that Russia may be providing weapons, weapons systems to Syria,” State Department spokesman Robert Wood said.
On Thursday, Israeli President Shimon Peres warned that sending new weapons to Syria “would endanger peace in the world, not only in the Middle East.”
A senior foreign ministry official, for his part, said Russia’s “forceful return on the international stage doesn’t guarantee in any way it will have a constructive role in the future of the Middle East.”
“It is difficult to believe in the good faith of Moscow when it emerges, despite all of Moscow’s denials, that Russian weapons sold to Syria have reached Hezbollah,” he said under condition of anonymity.
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