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Last update - 08:59 23/08/2008
Mofaz: Israel must show a tough stance against regional enemies
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and Agencies
Tags: Israel, Russia, Syria 

Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz (Kadima) on Friday Mofaz accused Syria and other regional states of "allowing themselves to directly threaten Israel," and added that Israel must exhibit a "tough stance" against them.

Mofaz also responded to allegations that Syria offered to place Russian missile batteries on their soil, saying "Israel cannot allow the entry of weapons that could destabilize the balance of power in the region."

Syria has denied claims that its president, Bashar Assad, asked Russia to deploy surface-to-surface missiles on its territory, Israel Radio reported on Friday.
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According to media reports, Assad made the request on Thursday during talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow regarding a number of possible arms deals between the two countries.

Russia's foreign minister said after the meeting that Moscow would consider Assad's appeal for new weapon sales.

Despite the tension between Russia and the West, there is no crisis in relations between Jerusalem and Moscow, Israel believes.

Nevertheless, Israel fears Assad is trying to drag Russia and Israel into a new diplomatic crisis by emphasizing Israeli arms sales to Georgia.

On Wednesday, Medvedev called Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for the first time since the former's springtime election, and discussed the Middle East situation with him.

During the phone call, Olmert asked Medvedev not to sell Syria arms that would upset the balance of power in the region, particularly advanced anti-aircraft missiles (the SA-10 and S-300). Medvedev's predecessor Vladimir Putin had made such promises.

In their meeting at Medvedev's Black Sea residence, Assad backed Russia's military action against Georgia, making Syria only the second country in the world - after Belarus - to voice public backing for Russia's operation in Georgia.

"We understand the essence of the Russian position and its military response," Assad told Medvedev at the start of their meeting. "We believe Russia was responding to the Georgian provocation."

Syria has sought the SA-10s for close to a decade, and the sale has been blocked numerous times in the past, by pressure from the U.S. and Israel. Damascus also is interested in the S-300 system. Assad said Thursday he hopes to offer Moscow the opportunity to deploy that type of missile in Syrian territory, as a counterweight to U.S. missiles in Poland.

Syria wants the missiles to counterbalance Israel's air superiority: The advanced anti-aircraft missiles would seriously hamper Israel Air Force activity over Lebanon, Syria and even Israel.

In their phone call, Medvedev invited Olmert to visit Russia, which Israeli sources interpret as a desire to preserve good relations between the countries and balance Assad's visit. Before the crisis broke out in Georgia, talks were underway for Olmert to make an official visit to Moscow, but they have been frozen.

After the meeting between Medvedev and Assad Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia would consider Syria's request for new weapons, but did not say which weapons Syria seeks. The ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Lavrov as saying Russia is prepared to sell Syria defensive weapons that do not interfere with the strategic balance in the region.

Related articles:
  • U.S. to Syria: Do not meddle in Russia-Georgia conflict
  • On eve of Assad visit to Moscow, Israel and Russia discuss security
  • Russia plans to pull out of Georgia buffer zone by Friday evening
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      1.   Syria and Lebanon should S300`s or S10`s as they are defensive 05:15  |  Lev Bronstein 22/08/08
      2.   Israel hedging bets! 06:16  |  Maureen Ann 22/08/08
      3.   Painless and effective. What could be better? 06:16  |  Natallie Durson 22/08/08
      4.   Israel Hedging bets! 06:22  |  Maureen Ann 22/08/08
      5.   Bashar Assad as a peace partner ? 07:41  |  Jean Van Daem 22/08/08
      6.   NOT THIS TIME, IT SEEMS 09:19  |  indrajaya 22/08/08
      7.   BRONSTEIN.Soviets sold them the latest & best of everyhing.So? 09:24  |  PETER SM 22/08/08
      8.   Russia should choose coexistence with the West 09:41  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/08/08
      9.   Israel alone spoiled Moscow-Jerusalem ties. 09:42  |  S 22/08/08
      10.   isreal always flies over sovereign countries 10:06  |  stavros 22/08/08
      11.   Maybe its time Israel rethink negotiations with Syria 10:11  |  David G 22/08/08
      12.   #9, S 10:22  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/08/08
      13.   As an Observer 10:23  |  Dr.F.A. 22/08/08
      14.   Poland is Syria 11:07  |  Thomas S 22/08/08
      15.   Stay with thte USA and EU. 11:17  |  Vital 22/08/08
      16.   Reality: Grandfather speaks..... 11:41  |  Jeff 22/08/08
      17.   David G, you are forgetting one thing 12:17  |  Harvey 22/08/08
      18.   what goes around comes around 12:42  |  guy 22/08/08
      19.   #8 Cipora-what Russia `should` do 12:54  |  examiner 22/08/08
      20.   #14 Harvey -on radical change 13:49  |  examiner 22/08/08
      21.   Syria has no money in the bank. Obvious. 13:58  |  Stephen 22/08/08
      22.   WHAT`S BETTER FO RUSSIA 14:36  |  X-Military 22/08/08
      23.   Ensuring Regional Peace 14:38  |  Gray 22/08/08
      24.   Stavros, If Israel Can`t Fly Over Other Sovereign States, 14:53  |  Reader 22/08/08
      25.   #3 cuba could be better 15:20  |  odles 22/08/08
      26.   PUTIN WANT TO,NOTHING ABOUT ASSAD!!! 15:37  |  Ron Schmidt 22/08/08
      27.   #8 Cipora-what Russia `should` do 15:45  |  examiner 22/08/08
      28.   #14 Harvey -on radical change 15:45  |  examiner 22/08/08
      29.   So how long before 16:00  |  Steve from Raleigh 22/08/08
      30.   #1 Lev n Moscow 16:18  |  John Allen 22/08/08
      31.   X-Military`s good point 16:21  |  Uri 22/08/08
      32.   Israeli worries 16:44  |  Iamashamed 22/08/08
      33.   chickens coming home to roost 16:46  |  sam 22/08/08
      34.   THE BALANCE OF POWER(WHOSE SCALE IS HEAVIER?IN THE M.E) 16:57  |  HAFIZ KAZI 22/08/08
      35.   #3 Poor Natalie Iranian Poster girl is unable to read the article 17:24  |  Big Sur 22/08/08
      36.   Still do not understand Dursons Bigotry 17:30  |  Big Sur 22/08/08
      37.   #10 Shalom Stavros 17:46  |  Big Sur 22/08/08
      38.   #18 Gray amazing takes a licking keeps on ticking 17:51  |  Big Sur 22/08/08
      39.   Mofaz 17:51  |  Pat 22/08/08
      40.   Kadima bla bla 17:53  |  Ralph 22/08/08
      41.   Examiner 15 and 23 17:57  |  Harvey 22/08/08
      42.   This shows Assads and Syrias true intentions 18:19  |  Livin In Rishon 22/08/08
      43.   I would be all for overflights of zionist entity 18:23  |  get a clue 22/08/08
      44.   the zionist entity is a breakaway from arabia!!! 18:25  |  time for a change! 22/08/08
      45.   To Lev Bronstein 18:25  |  Proud Jew 22/08/08
      46.   The Goose and the Gander 18:28  |  Bitin Dawg 22/08/08
      47.   Mofaz? Another general talking tough? What else? 18:34  |  S 22/08/08
      48.   Stavros before you attack Isarel clean your own house 18:44  |  David Israel 22/08/08
      49.   It Was Tzipi Livni that Put Emphasis on Georgian Arms Sales 18:45  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 22/08/08
      50.   One of my Russian colleagues told me 18:46  |  Dr.F.A. 22/08/08
      51.   to gray Trying again to get vital info to your questionable talkb 18:55  |  Big Sur 22/08/08
      52.   I wonder where these allegations came from? 18:57  |  Clickfool 22/08/08
      53.   #22, the doctrinaire examiner 19:13  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/08/08
      54.   Still Russia should restrain just for profits 19:37  |  John 22/08/08
      55.   ??Upset the balance of power in the region. 19:47  |  Bashir 22/08/08
      56.   Syria and "Defensive Weapons" 19:55  |  Moshe 22/08/08
      57.   #12 Thomas S 20:06  |  Moshe 22/08/08
      58.   Is Mofaz better than Livni after all ...... 20:07  |  TheThreadmill 22/08/08
      59.   The Right Idea... 20:24  |  Onlooker 22/08/08
      60.   Israel must prepare for Obama by kissing up to Russia 20:55  |  Voice of Reason 22/08/08
      61.   take care 20:55  |  Darbacan 22/08/08
      62.   Reader; Before they fly anywhere... 21:02  |  Gray 22/08/08
      63.   Natalie Durrson 21:07  |  Alain 22/08/08
      64.   #7 Poor Peter "...Russians sold them the best..." 21:08  |  Gray 22/08/08
      65.   X Millitary boasting again SHAME 21:24  |  John 22/08/08
      66.   Defensive weapons are ok, protecting their sovereignty is human 21:33  |  UN Man 22/08/08
      67.   #4 Maureen Ann - Everyong believes 21:36  |  * BEN JABO 22/08/08
      68.   Poland is Syria, really? Must be cold in Sweden. I understand 22:06  |  Jack be quick 22/08/08
      69.   London FT says how Foreign Capital is being pulled out of Russia.