Crisis in Israel-Russia Ties
freerepublic.com
Israel is trying to halt an arms deal in which Russia would supply advanced missiles to Syria, Israeli officials said Wednesday. The officials commented on the affair after a Russian newspaper reported the deal.
The deputy Russian foreign minister is in the region to discuss the matter, the Israeli officials said on condition of anonymity. Syrian President Bashar Assad is due to visit Russia January 24-28.
The United States is aware of the growing crisis between Russia and Israel, the officials added.
The Russian daily Kommersant reported Wednesday that Israel recalled its ambassador over the deal. Israeli officials said the ambassador was in Israel on vacation, and denied he had been recalled.
The newspaper said Moscow planned to sell Iskander-E missile complexes to Syria. The missiles can destroy targets up to 280 kilometers (175 miles) away and would put all of Israel's territory - including the Dimona nuclear center in the Negev desert - in jeopardy, according to the Kommersant report.
Syria had reportedly turned to Moscow two years ago with a request to purchase 18 Iskander-E complexes, but that the equipment had not even been tested yet so Damascus settled for Kornet-E and Metis-M missile systems.
The press service of Russia's main arms export company, Rosoboronexport, said it had no information that Russia was planning such a sale. No one was immediately available for comment at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
**Israeli military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have expressed concern that the missiles would get into the hands of Hizbullah and disrupt the military balance in the Middle East.
Alex Kogan, analyst for the Russian-language Israeli newspaper Novosty Nidely, said reports in Russian media said the missile is based on advanced Russian technology which would render the missile impervious to Israeli countermeasures, such as the Arrow anti-missile system.
Kogan added that the deal between Russia and Syria was signed over two years ago and is not "something that popped up just now."
There may be something else behind this story, and I am not surprised that no official is willing to talk about it," Kogan said.
Another diplomatic affair hovering over the relations between Israel and Russia is claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin's that Israeli officials aided Ukrainian opposition candidate Viktor Yuschenko on the campaign trail.
According to a Channel 2 report Tuesday evening, Israel rejected Putin's. The Russian president further accused Israel of financing Yuschenko in the presidential race against Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the candidate he preferred.
Putin claimed that the Israeli government could have prevented the financial sponsorship of Yuschenko.
**Balance or imbalance? |
