Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet in the near future despite tensions over Syria. Moscow blames Jerusalem for last month’s downing of a Russian reconnaissance plane by Syrian forces, which came in the immediate aftermath of an Israeli aerial attack on a weapons manufacturing facility in Latakia. By contrast, Israel contends that the indiscriminate firing of an anti-missile battery by Syrian troops caused the incident in which fifteen Russian servicemen were killed. Following the event, Russia transferred to Damascus the advanced S-300 defense system, which analysts believe will inhibit Israel’s freedom of action in Syria’s skies. The move has been denounced not only by the Jewish state but also by the United States and France. Israel has conducted hundreds of cross-border operations to curb Iranian efforts to establish a permanent military foothold in Syria and to stop sophisticated arms from reaching Hizbullah in Lebanon. On Saturday, the Ashraq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted a Russian source as saying that the Kremlin is attempting to “open communication channels” between Jerusalem and Tehran in order to “lower tension and prevent a possible confrontation between the two sides in Syria.” Netanyahu’s upcoming meeting with Putin will be the fourth between the two leaders this year.
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