Russia raises stakes with Israel over downed plane
Moscow doubled down on its harsh rhetoric vis-a-vis Israel over the downed plane by promising to deploy the S-300 and other advanced weapons in Syria.
Following the visit of Israeli delegation led by air force commander Amikam Norkin, the Russian Defense Ministry waited before reporting its own version of the events in Syria that caused the death of 15 Russian service members aboard the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft.
Moscow insists that its initial conclusions are accurate, meaning that Israel is considered fully responsible for the tragedy. The Defense Ministry statement was unprecedented in its harshness. Moreover, the words were immediately reinforced by actions: In two weeks Moscow will provide Syria with S-300 missile systems and take other precautions to impede Israel’s actions in the sky above Syria.
On Sept. 23, the ministry's chief spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, accused Israel of “criminal negligence” and “ungratefulness.” During the presentation, describing the events in the sky above Latakia minute by minute, he disclosed some previously unknown facts about Russia and Israel’s interactions in Syria, such as the search for the bodies of Israeli soldiers, the preservation of Jewish cultural heritage in Aleppo and issues involving Israel’s security, including the removal of pro-Iranian troops from the border. It had become known earlier that Moscow had persuaded Tehran to move the groups loyal to the Islamic Republic 85 kilometers (53 miles) east of the Golan Heights; however, recently the Defense Ministry suddenly changed the required distance to 140 kilometers (87 miles). Konashenkov said Moscow always tried to meet Israel’s requests only to suffer from “hostile actions” of the country’s air forces.
Israeli military officers objected to the report their Russian counterparts presented. Moreover, the Israeli media accused Moscow of lying and distorting the facts. Seeking the guilty may not matter all that much at this point, but there is a strong blueprint behind Russia’s rhetoric and tone toward Israel.
