Russian defense minister to visit Israel soon

Russia’s defense minister is to travel to Israel soon, with Iran and Syria expected to take center stage in talks between the two sides, the Israeli daily Ha’aretz reports.

Sergei Shoigu would be visiting later in the week to meet with Israeli minister for military affairs Avigdor Lieberman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the report said on Sunday. 

During the stay, Tel Aviv is to convey its concerns to Moscow about increasing Iranian “strength” in Syria, the paper added.

Iran has been providing Syria’s Army with military advisory support, and Russia has been lending it air power, both at Damascus’ request, in the face of foreign-backed terrorists

Israel, on the other hand, has been supporting militants fighting to topple the Syrian government. Tel Aviv offers medical treatment to Takfiri terrorists entering Syria’s Golan Heights, which Tel Aviv has occupied since 1967. It also regularly attacks the Syrian soil, targeting convoys carrying supplies for groups allied to the Damascus government. 

Ha'aretz said Shoigu and Lieberman were to discuss closer coordination in Syria, having previously met on many occasions “to prevent unnecessary friction, especially in the air and at sea.”

Russia has repeatedly protested to Israeli airstrikes in Syria. In September, Ha'aretz said Russia had rejected an Israeli demand to create a “buffer zone” in Syria where forces allied to the Syrian government would be prohibited from entering.