WarSclerotic

Putin told Israel he is not obligated to Syria’s Assad, senior officials say – Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper.

Russia has to date expressed support for the Assad regime, despite the bloodbath the regime is conducting against his citizens.

Russian president Vladimir Putin, left, with President Peres at the Red Army Memorial in Netanya on Monday. Photo by Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin told senior Israeli officials on Monday that while he was not obligated to Syrian President Bashar Assad, he urged the West to think carefully before trying to remove him, a senior Israeli diplomatic sources said on Monday.

“We asked Putin for Russia to work more actively to preserve stability in Syria, to prevent biological and chemical weapons from falling into the hands of Hezbollah or other terror groups,” the source said. “Putin said that he is not obligated to Assad, but that Russia and Syria have strategic relations.”

Russia has to date expressed support for the Assad regime, despite the bloodbath the regime is conducting against his citizens.

During his meeting with President Shimon Peres, Putin discussed the possibility that a Western state would act to bring down the Assad regime in Syria.

“From my experience, one must think about the consequences of an act before doing it,” Putin was quoted as saying. “Look what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. With regard to Syria, one must think carefully whether the opposition that will rise to power will be what the West wants it to be, or whether it will end up being totally the opposite.”

Peres reportedly presented Putin with a proposal to put Syria under the control of the Arab League and the United Nations for two years, until democratic elections could be held there.

“Assad stopped being an alternative when he started firing at his children,” Peres said. “None of us can tolerate coffins filled with the bodies of children. That’s beyond politics.”

With regard to Iran, the senior diplomatic source said Jerusalem had “asked Russia to be more passive and continue to honor the UN Security Council sanctions against Iran. We asked that Russia maintain a united front with the West, and not demonstrate relative moderation toward Iran.”

All told, Israeli officials were satisfied by the talks with Putin, saying the sense was that common ground could be reached on the Iranian nuclear issue.

“There was a feeling that Putin and [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu found a common language,” a diplomatic source said. “There was an open conversation between the two on the Iranian issue. Putin gave us the feeling that there’s what to talk about, and not that each side was coming just to clarify its stance.”

While there didn’t seem to have been any agreements reached on Iran’s nuclear program or Russia’s support for the Assad regime, “If there had been a substantive disagreement during the talks, neither side would have concealed it,” said a source familiar with the content of the talks.

“During the meeting there were in-depth, detailed talks on the Iranian issue. Netanyahu and Putin agreed that the discourse between them should continue via an open and continuous line. During the meeting there was also a mechanism created for the two sides’ teams to advance the discussions on the issue.”

Earlier, during the reception ceremony for Putin at the President’s Residence, which included an Israel Defense Forces honor guard, Peres said he was confident Russia would aid in the effort to hinder Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“I know Russia rejects Iranian development of weapons of mass destruction,” said Peres. “It’s important that this effect not let up. Nuclear weapons in Iranian hands are a threat to the security and stability of Iran’s neighbors, and essentially the entire world.

“Iran has made explicit threats against the State of Israel,” Peres added. “We cannot accept nuclear weapons being in the hands of those who threaten to destroy us.”

Putin responded by saying: “The region in which Israel sits greatly influences the feelings of the entire international community. Russia has a national interest in assuring peace and tranquillity for Israel.”

Putin to Israel: Iran won’t get a nuclear bomb. No need for an Israeli strike.

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report June 25, 2012, 10:06 PM (GMT+02:00)

Vladimir Putin in Jerusalem

The high point of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s noteworthy 90-minute talk with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Monday, June 25, was Putin’s firm assertion that Iran will not get a nuclear bomb. This is disclosed exclusively by debkafile’s Jerusalem and Moscow sources.
He also dismissed reports that the third round in Moscow of six-power talks with Iran (June 18-19) led nowhere, stressing they were serious and substantial. The next round taking place in Istanbul on July for technical discussions is, according to the Russian president, of prime importance. For the first time, he explained, the nuclear negotiations with Iran will get down to the core issues and would therefore of greater significance  than the “Ashton-Jalili” sessions.
(He was referring to European foreign executive Catherine Ashton who chairs the negotiations and Saeed Jalili, senior Iranian negotiator.)
Putin corrected the general impression that Russia has confined itself to the role of passive bystander in the bargaining with Iran: Quite the reverse, he said: Moscow has been proactively working for accord behind the scenes and its “input” to the process “is considerable.”
Although the word “intelligence” was not mentioned, it was clearly intimated by the Russian visitor when he said, “We [Russians] know more about what is going on with regard to Iran’s (nuclear) capabilities than the Americans.”
It was Putin’s way to scoff at Israel for investing so much time and strategic assets in endless wrangling over how to handle the Iranian threat with American security, military and intelligence chiefs, when the Netanyahu government would be better served by sparing a fraction of that time for talking to Moscow.

In conclusion, he stressed to Netanyahu that it was unnecessary for Israel to use military force against Iran’s nuclear program. Israel knows exactly how much Russia has done to prevent Iran building a nuclear weapon,” he said. “A nuclear weapon in Iranian hands would be contrary to Russian interests, and so it will not get one,”  he stressed.
More exclusive details of the Putin-Netanyahu conversation will be disclosed in the coming issue of DEBKA-Net-Weekly out next Friday.

Jerusalem Post – Breaking News.

The first video released of the meeting.  It is silent and short but worthy of seeing if only to contrast it with Putin’s recent meeting with Obama.  Looks to me like the two leaders are more than OK with each other.  Hey, I’ll grasp at any straw you offer… – JW

Iran focus of Russian president’s visit to Israel – Timesonline.com: Middle-east:.

Associated Press

Netanyahu: Israel, Russia agree on Iran – Israel News, Ynetnews.

Jerusalem, Moscow agree that Iranian nukes would constitute grave danger, PM Netanyahu says following meeting with Putin; two leaders addressed Iran issue in detail, Russian president says

Omri Ephraim

A beautiful friendship? Israel and Russia agree that Iranian nuclear weapons would constitute grave danger for the Jewish state and for the whole world, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I believe that we should be doing two things now: Boosting the sanctions (on Iran) and also boosting the demands,” Netanyahu said.

Related stories:

• Putin in Israel, inaugurates WWII memorial 
• Russia looks to Israel for water technology
  

Speaking earlier, President Putin said the two leaders “spoke in detail about the Syria issue and about the Iranian nuclear program.”

“I would like to stress again that the negotiations were detailed and very effective,” he said. “I’m convinced that the cooperation between Russia and Israel will develop later as well, and this matter certainly meets the demands and interests of both states, in the region and in the world at large.”

‘Friendly ties’

Speaking to the media after meeting PM Netanyahu, Putin thanked Israel’s leadership for inviting him to visit.

“My visit here reinforced the assumption that we have friendly relations, and these are not just friendly relations,” Putin said. “This is a solid basis for building dialogue and partnership.”

Putin greeted by PM’s wife (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom, GPO)

Earlier Monday, President Shimon Peres greeted Putin in a dedication ceremony for a memorial to the Red Army’s victory over Nazi Germany in Netanya. Peres said he is certain that Russia, which fought fascism, will not tolerate similar threats, “not an Iranian threat and not bloodshed in Syria.”

Signal to Egypt

During the press conference, Netanyahu also addressed regional realities, referring to the Islamist victory in Egypt’s presidential elections.

The PM said that Israel “appreciates the democratic process in Egypt” and respects the Egyptian election results.

“We look forward to working together with the new administration on the basis of the peace agreement between us,” Netanyahu said. “I believe peace is important for Israel. I believe peace is important for Egypt.”

Meanwhile, President Putin addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, asserting that “against the backdrop of events in the Middle East, it is important to resolve longtime conflicts.”

“We urge all sides to renew negotiations; this is the only way to resolve the problem,” the Russian president said.

Putin: Israel, Russia strive for peaceful resolution to Iran nuclear issue – Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper.

Speaking at joint press conference with Netanyahu, Russian leader says Israel-Russia ties based on ‘deep friendship’; PM: Israel, Palestinians must resume peace talks.

Vladimir Putin speaking at the Red Army memorial in Netanya, June 25, 2012. Photo by GPO

Israel and Russia will continue consultations geared at resolving the nuclear standoff with Iran through peaceful means, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, adding that Israel-Russia relations are based on a “deep friendship.”

Putin arrived in Israel earlier in the day, in what Israeli officials hoped would be an opportunity to recruit Russia’s government to join their efforts against Iran’s nuclear program.

Speaking following a lengthy meeting between Netanyahu and Putin later in the day, the Russian leader said that he felt he was “among friends,” adding that the ties between Israel and Russia were ones of “deep friendship, no something that will pass, and that will endure in the future.”

“We held a thorough discussion of the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, and, even in the current situation, I estimate that we will continue to consult and work together, and that these issues will be resolved peaceful for the good of all sides,” Putin added.

Netanyahu spoke at the press conference for the need to restart peace talks with the Palestinians, saying: “One of two things can happen. Either [Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas comes over here, or I go over there. Either way, we must start talking.”

Alluding to the standoff with Iran, Netanyahu said at the joint press conference that there “are those who wish to deny the Holocaust, and there are those who erect monuments to honor the actions of the Red Army, which saved Jews in the Holocaust.”

The premier was referring to a visit by Putin to the city of Netanya earlier Monday, where he inaugurated a new memorial to the Red Army.

During a speech given at the memorial, Putin called the Holocaust “the darkest, most shameful chapter in human history,” and praised the Soviet Army was the one to “smash the head of the Nazi monster and allowed all nations to survive.”

Putin added that he was “very excited” and thanked Netanyahu, Peres and “all of his Israeli friends” for the establishment of the monument.

President Shimon Peres was the main Israeli representative at the dedication ceremony. He praised the Soviet Union’s actions against Nazi Germany, as well as the current Russian government’s efforts to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Jerusalem Post – Breaking News.

The media’s despicable silence on Israel | Ronn Torossian | Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

( Glad to see I’m not the only one who was sickened… – JW )

The world’s media constantly blasts and attacks Israel. A simple monitoring of the media over the last few days shows a deafening silence on issues – and there’s no explanation other than media bias against Israel:

In the last week, there have been 150 rockets fired into Israel, and it’s far from major news. It’s a non-issue for the Western media – damage to a school and factory on Saturday. It will become news when Israel responds and kills some terrorist(s), and world headlines will speak of “tit for tat violence.” No, in reality it’s a sane democratic country defending herself from terrorism.

Think if Israel fired 150 rockets into Gaza it wouldn’t be in the media?

Mainstream media has by and large ignored a huge NYC mural which compares gay rights in Israel and Arab states. There’s an outline of two men holding hands, above them are the words, “Who Would YOU Want at Your Wedding?” The figures also hold two balancing scales. Above one scale, on the side of the mural that reads “Israel,” there’s a description of how the recent gay pride parade in Israel attracted tens of thousands of people, that Israel allows same-sex couples to adopt children, and that “gay people serve openly in the military and government” in Israel.

Above the scale on the side of the mural labeled “Israel’s neighbors,” the text notes that homosexuality is illegal in Syria and punishable by death in Iran. “There is no pride parade in Egypt, Jordan or Gaza,” reads the mural. Why no huge media spreads worldwide?

Literally every single week Israel is harmed by biased media. It’s sickening. An interesting person this month surfaced on this issue: Kasim Hafeez, a British Muslim who today calls himself a “proud Zionist.” He says the British community he grew up in calls “for the destruction of all Jews,” which led him to believe that Israel is a “terror state.”

But now he realizes that “People don’t know the facts. I would say to anybody, come to Israel. See the rights that Muslims have. People can vote for their leaders. People of all colors, all races, all backgrounds co-exist here, and people just don’t know.”

He particularly criticized media bias, saying that Israel can “do no right in the UK press.” “Israel is always wrong and everything has a very negative slant.” The media is simply biased about Israel – constantly, worldwide and not just in the UK.

Meanwhile, The New York Times runs an op-ed by Nathan Thrall of the International Crisis Group promising violence against Israel. Thrall speaks of how bleak the situation is: poor Israel has lost its chance with Abbas, Palestinians have lost hope of ever getting a state, and armed confrontation, a third intifada, is inevitable. But not once does the op-ed blame them for the inevitable violence that will occur. Despicable.

Ze’ev Jabotinsky, the Zionist leader said: “Silence is despicable, it leads to a loss of flesh and blood.” He’s right: Media bias against Israel leads to dead Jews, and it is incumbent upon anyone concerned with decency who knows right from wrong not to remain silent. We must all help improve Israel’s public image and help however we can with Israel’s public relations.

US-Israel Anti-Iran War Games Set near Elections – Global Agenda – News – Israel National News.

Israel and US officers in joint drill

Israel news photo: IDF spokesman

The United States and Israel are planning war games involving simulated attacks against Iran and Syria. Coincidence or not, the exercises will take place less than a month before elections November 6.

Thousands of soldiers will participate in the war games under simultaneous and simulated missile fire from Syria and Iran, the Hebrew language Maariv newspaper reported. It said that the exercise will be named “dress rehearsal,” a thinly veiled message to Iran of the possibility of a military attack on its unsupervised nuclear program if Tehran does not cooperate with United Nations inspectors.

President Barack Obama is seen as wanting to postpone any military action until after the elections, in which he will be running for re-election against Republican Mitt Romney.

Iran has suffered numerous cyber attacks in the past year, presumably originating from Israel and the United States, in an effort to cripple computer programs operating nuclear facilities, particularly those where Iran is enriching uranium, a key element for a nuclear weapon.

On the military front, Israel has beefed up its submarine force, which is reportedly equipped with nuclear weapons.

Recent U.S. defense contracts to arm its navy with more Tomahawk cruise missiles may possibly be intended to deplete reserves that were used for bombing missions against Muammar Qaddafi but also may be designated for a future attack, Business Insider noted.

“Taking out radar and aircraft defenses would be one step in an Iranian attack. Another, equally as vital, would be determining where Tehran’s fleet of submarines may be parked in the Persian Gulf,” it said.

The U.S. Navy also has ordered 17,000 sonar buoys that are used to work with other buoys to locate underwater objects but also might be intended for research for an unknown mission.