The strain in ties between Israel and Russia were laid bare on Wednesday as President Vladimir Putin hosted talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focusing on Iran’s role in Syria.
Before the meeting in Moscow, Mr Netanyahu said the key agenda points would be military co-operation and Syria and curbing Iranian influence in the country.
"We will continue to act until we get the Iranians out of Syria because Iran threatens to destroy Israel," he said.
It was a message he repeated during a meeting with Mr Putin before closed-door negotiations began.
"The biggest threat to stability and security of the region is Iran,” Mr Netanyahu said.
His visit came as Mr Putin intensified efforts to find a political resolution to the conflict in Syria.
Earlier in February, the Russian president hosted talks with the leaders of Iran and Turkey.
The talks between Mr Putin, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s Hassan Rouhani on Valentine's Day were dominated by the fallout from US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull American troops from Syria.
Mr Trump’s plans, since changed, leave Mr Netanyahu with one fewer ally against Iranian influence in a country torn apart by eight years of war.
“The withdrawal puts Israel in an even more difficult position than previously,” says Anna Borshchevskaya, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “Israel's only real ally in the conflict now is Russia.”
Before Wednesday’s talks, Mr Netanyahu made it clear that he regards Mr Putin as a key player who can curb Iranian influence and proxies backed by Tehran.
But analysts say Mr Putin may be unable or unwilling to intervene on Israel’s behalf.
"It's wishful thinking that Russia can help curb Iranian influence in a meaningful way,' Ms Borshchevskaya told The National.
“Moscow ultimately has neither the ability nor desire to do so, but he is interested in the pretence of being helpful. The fact of the matter is, Putin's entire Syria strategy has been predicated on a partnership with Iran.”
Israel has responded to Iran’s growing presence in Syria by launching dozens of air strikes against militants backed by Tehran. Mr Netanyahu says those militants want to use Syria as a launching pad to attack Israel.
But as the war in Syria appears to wind down, Russia’s patience with Israel’s air campaign appears to be running thin.
In Sochi this month, Mr Putin promised that the territorial integrity of Syria would be restored and news organisations run by the Kremlin have voiced loud criticism of recent Israeli sorties over Syria.
When Mr Netanyahu last visited Russia in May, the relationship between the two leaders looked rosier.
The Israeli president was one of just two world leaders to stand side by side with Mr Putin during a bombastic military parade on Red Square to commemorate the end of the Second World War.
Relations have been more strained since September when Moscow blamed Israel for shooting down a Russian surveillance plane over the Mediterranean.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said that four Israeli F-14s had hidden behind the Ilyushin Il-20 plane when Syrian air defence targeted the jets.
After the incident, Mr Netanyahu failed to organise an official meeting at the Paris Peace Forum in November, although the two leaders did meet several times on the sidelines.
The meeting in Moscow this week, the first since November, was not without complications.
With elections looming in Israel, Mr Netanyahu made a last minute delay to the talks, originally scheduled for last week, over fears that two opposition parties were forming a coalition before the April ballot.
Analysts said his trip to Moscow may be a calculated part of that campaign and that it will have resonance at home in the lead up to the polls. The plan may be to show Mr Netanyahu as a mover and shaker in the international arena.
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%20Twin-turbocharged%204-litre%20V8%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20625%20bhp%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20630Nm%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh974%2C011%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
ORDER OF PLAY ON SHOW COURTS
Centre Court - 4pm (UAE)
Gael Monfils (15) v Kyle Edmund
Karolina Pliskova (3) v Magdalena Rybarikova
Dusan Lajovic v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 - 4pm
Adam Pavlasek v Novak Djokovic (2)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Gilles Simon
Angelique Kerber (1) v Kirsten Flipkens
Court 2 - 2.30pm
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Marcos Baghdatis
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Christina McHale
Milos Raonic (6) v Mikhail Youzhny
Tsvetana Pironkova v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
RESULT
Wolves 1 (Traore 67')
Tottenham 2 (Moura 8', Vertonghen 90 1')
Man of the Match: Adama Traore (Wolves)
