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Putin plays Syria card in Israeli, Turkish elections

Russian President Vladimir Putin may be the winner with regard to his influence in Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, talk to each other during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, April 4, 2019. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC197C470650

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with less than a week remaining in the highest stakes election of his career, took one of his few remaining precious campaign days to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and it appeared to pay off for both leaders.

“After he milked the March 25 celebration with President Donald Trump in the White House, Netanyahu is looking toward Putin, who is still venerated by many former Soviet Union citizens who moved to Israel,” writes Ben Caspit. “In this last-minute trip, Netanyahu is again trying to convey that no one can replace him in terms of international status.”

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