Will Russia-Israel ties suffer after downing of Il-20 military plane off Syrian coast?
Moscow and Tel Aviv had long enjoyed fairly good ties despite
the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, but they are now at risk as
Russia blames Israel for the downing its warplane off Syrian coast and
the crew's death.
Although the plane was
technically shot down by a Syrian missile, Russia made it clear who it
blames in the tragedy, saying that Israeli pilots used the Russian Il-20
as a cover.
Related:
‘You are to blame for downing of Il-20 and death of its crew,’ Russia tells Israel
The Middle East historically remained a place of bitter
rivalries. Tension grew increasingly high after the Arab Spring brought
more havoc to an already complex region, riddled with colliding
interests and clashing ambitious of various actors, large and small.
Nevertheless, Russia and Israel had always managed to keep good
relations.
This year alone President Vladimir Putin
met
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu three times, and every time
the media didn’t get much details from closed-door discussions. Through
delicate behind-the-scenes diplomacy Moscow maintained a close, working
relations with Israel. The fact that it’s one of US closest allies was
never an issue for Moscow. Russia itself kept developing ties with
Turkey and Iran, Israel’s arch-nemesis, while managing to address
Israel’s concerns too.
For Russia, Israel is not only an important, geopolitical partner with
alleged
nuclear capabilities, situated in the heart of the world’s most
turbulent region. It’s also home of about 1.3 million expats from
post-Soviet countries. This large diaspora plays a significant role for
Russia when it tailors its approach to Tel Aviv.
Related:
The Russian-“Israeli” “Crisis”: Climb-Down In Progress?
Even the war in Syria, where Israel - in hopes of curbing Iranian influence - supported and
armed controversial anti-government militants, didn’t result in a serious crisis in relations with Russia.
Over the course of the conflict, the IDF had
conducted numerous airstrikes against targets in Syria and even
launched missiles
at Syrian jets. Each attack was strongly condemned by both Syria and
Russia who had been pointing out that any military incursion into the
country without the government’s and UN’s approval is illegal.
Related: https://www.rt.com/news/438686-syria-russia-s200-il20/
But
the raid on Latakia and the collateral damage in a form of a downed
Russian military plane can inflict grave damage on the relations between
the states. Israel stands firmly against the strengthening of the
Turkish or Iranian grip in the region, so its recent actions may be an
attempt to remind everyone that the Syrian crisis has other stakeholders
involved. Especially, since just the day before the tragic incident
with the Russia plane Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep
Tayyp Erdogan
reached a settlement on the situation around Idlib, the last militant stronghold beyond the control of the Syrian government.
Source:
https://www.rt.com/news/438704-russia-israel-conflict-plane/
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