Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Syria and the Middle East in a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, the Kremlin said, Sputnik reports.
The conversation occurred one day before Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’ visit to Russia. “Issues of bilateral cooperation, as well as the situation in the Middle East peace process and the…Syrian crisis, were discussed,” the Kremlin said.
Netanyahu voiced his concerns to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday about Russia’s arrangement with Iran and Turkey to create “safe zones” in Syria, Haaretz reports. A senior Israeli official said that Netanyahu did not oppose the “safe zones,” but stressed that they cannot serve to allow Iran or Hizbullah to set up near the border with Israel.
Netanyahu wants any future deal to end the war in Syria to include “buffer zones” on the Syrian side of the border on the Golan Heights, as well as the border between Syria and Jordan, to prevent Iran and Hizbullah for setting up bases there.
Al-Arabiya reported, citing Israeli security sources, that Israel stressed to the Russians that it does not see itself as obliged to desist from carrying out attacks on “safe zones” in cases of “ticking time bombs.” In other words, Israel will attack if it identifies attempts to deliver arms to Hizbullah through those areas.
{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}
