Israel, Russia agree to ‘joint mechanism’ on Syria

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to establish a “joint mechanism” to avoid potential misunderstandings between Israeli and Russian troops now deployed in Syria, according to an Israeli government statement issued Tuesday.

“We agreed to form a joint mechanism to prevent any misunderstandings between our forces in Syria,” Netanyahu said Tuesday following a brief visit to Moscow.

“It is extremely important to avoid any misunderstandings,” he stressed.

“Israel is constantly working to prevent the diversion of sophisticated weapons from Syria by Hezbollah,” Netanyahu went on, asserting that Israel “will not accept Iranian attempts to open another extremist front in the Golan Heights."

The Israeli prime minister added: “It is important that all parties, including Russia, understand how Israel operates to avoid any misunderstanding.”

Netanyahu was accompanied on his visit to Russia by Israel’s army chief-of-staff, the head of military intelligence and his military secretary.

Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee, for his part, told reporters that Israeli Army Chief-of-Staff Gadi Eizenkot had held a meeting in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, where the two had agreed on the need to establish “working committees under the direction of the chiefs-of-staff of both countries."

Netanyahu arrived in Moscow on Monday for a brief visit.

According to recent media reports, Russia has deployed combat troops in Syria’s coastal city of Latakia.

In a related development, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Tuesday that Israel would continue to operate in Syria.

“Israel has no intention of giving up its freedom to operate in Syria and will not allow the transfer of developed weapons to [Lebanese Shia militia] Hezbollah,” Ya’alon was quoted as saying by Israeli Radio.

He went on to assert that Russian military forces currently deployed in war-torn Syria were not directed against Israel.