Netanyahu to bring army chiefs to meet Putin in Moscow

Israeli Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot and Military Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Herzl Halevi will accompany Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a lightning trip to Moscow on Monday, in a clear signal that regional arms transfers and Russia’s troop deployments in Syria will be the main focus of the discussions, JPost reported.

Top Israeli generals very rarely accompany the prime minister on his trips abroad, with the premier’s military attaché generally the only uniformed officer who joins these overseas trips.

The seriousness with which Israel is taking the new developments in Syria, and Russia’s growing troop physical involvement there, is reflected in Netanyahu’s decision to bring both Eisenkot and Halevi on the trip.

Netanyahu will be flying to Moscow on Monday for some three hours to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He will not be accompanied by the press.

It is expected that Eisenkot will discuss coordination with his military counterparts in Moscow to fend off any inadvertent engagement between Russian troops now present in the area of the port city of Latakia, and Israeli forces.

Netanyahu is also expected to discuss with Putin Russia’s decision to supply Iran with S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.

Moscow has so far refused to provide that system to Syria, heeding Israel’s concern that those missiles could take down aircrafts flying over Israel.

Source: MENA