In the old Soviet Union, the very mention of the name Israel was tantamount to blasphemy of the highest order. Not any more, as President Putin and PM Netanyahu have made it a habit of meeting frequently, a fact which reflects a totally different Russian approach to Israel than the old Communist superpower. That said, this time the stakes are extremely high, and there is a sense of unusual urgency so far as the Israeli leader is concerned. First, Iran already has thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of troops in Syria, either its own Revolutionary Guards, but also Lebanese Hizballah units, Iraqi Shi’ite militias and Afghan Shi’ite volunteers. It is this point which will be the focus of the Putin-Netanyahu talks.

Source: Huffington Post March 05, 2017 16:17 UTC