A week into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel has yet to take a clear public stance on the war, worried about how it could affect its relationship with Moscow in the skies of Syria. And with that, it risks its alliance with the United States.
Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict in September 2015 on the side of embattled President Bashar Assad and Moscow is seen as the main power to speak with when Israel wants to carry out strikes in the country.
Israel’s war-between-wars campaign is one of utmost importance and has seen hundreds of airstrikes against Iranian and Hezbollah targets in the country, including convoys of advanced weaponry heading to Lebanon. Dozens of clandestine operations are also alleged by foreign media to have occurred in Syria and Lebanon against targets that threaten the Jewish State.
The two players have been using a deconfliction mechanism in order to avoid any unwanted conflict and with it, Russia has allowed Israel to maintain its freedom of operation over Syria, as long as it does not endanger their forces. READ MORE