“Our message was made clear by the [Foreign Ministry’s] Eurasia director, Gary Koren,” an Israeli official said. “The two sides decided not to give any more details on the contents of the conversation.”

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid had said earlier that Viktorov would be summoned for “a not-so-easy talk.” According to the Foreign Ministry, Viktorov was called in for a “clarification conversation.”

Asked in an interview with an Italian news channel about Russian claims that it invaded Ukraine to “denazify” the country, Sergey Lavrov said that Ukraine could still have Nazi elements even if some figures, including the country’s president, were Jewish.

“So when they say, ‘How can Nazification exist if we’re Jewish,’ in my opinion, Hitler also had Jewish origins, so it doesn’t mean absolutely anything. For some time we have heard from the Jewish people that the biggest antisemites were Jewish,” he said, speaking to the station in Russian, dubbed over by an Italian translation.

Persistent conspiracy theories that Hitler had some Jewish ancestry that may have motivated his antisemitism and the murder of six million Jews have been repeatedly debunked by historians.

While at the public level, the Foreign Ministry has sufficed with characterizing the meeting as a “clarification conversation,” rather than a “rebuke,” Jerusalem is not “ruling out the possibility of a further deterioration of ties in the wake of the incident,” according to officials quoted by Channel 12 news.

“The Russians hid the extent of their aggression from everybody, but these words [from Lavrov] are unforgivable,” the network quoted a senior Israeli official as saying, adding that Jerusalem now appears inclined to further align its stance on the Ukraine invasion with the West.

Israel has avoided aligning too closely with either side since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24. It is one of the few countries that maintains relatively warm relations with both Ukraine, a fellow Western democracy, and Russia.

However, the rhetoric coming from Jerusalem shifted in the wake of the reports of widespread civilian killings by the Russians, with Lapid explicitly accusing Russia of war crimes last month. Moscow has also recently publicly criticized Jerusalem, over its decision to supply defensive gear to Kyiv and a suggestion by Israel’s ambassador to Ukraine that streets be renamed in the Ukrainian capital for those who saved Jews during the Holocaust.

Lavrov’s comments were met by fierce condemnation and demands for apology by Israeli officials on Monday.Israel has avoided aligning too closely with either side since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24. It is one of the few countries that maintains relatively warm relations with both Ukraine, a fellow Western democracy, and Russia.

However, the rhetoric coming from Jerusalem shifted in the wake of the reports of widespread civilian killings by the Russians, with Lapid explicitly accusing Russia of war crimes last month. Moscow has also recently publicly criticized Jerusalem, over its decision to supply defensive gear to Kyiv and a suggestion by Israel’s ambassador to Ukraine that streets be renamed in the Ukrainian capital for those who saved Jews during the Holocaust.

Lavrov’s comments were met by fierce condemnation and demands for apology by Israeli officials on Monday.

“The aim of such lies is to blame the Jews themselves for the most terrible crimes in history that were committed against them, thus freeing from responsibility the oppressors of Israel,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement from his office.

Bennett’s denunciation followed stronger condemnation from Lapid and other Israeli ministers.

“This is an unforgivable and scandalous comment, a terrible historical error and we expect an apology,” Lapid said. “Hitler was not of Jewish origin and the Jews did not murder themselves in the Holocaust. The lowest form of racism against Jews is blaming the Jews themselves for antisemitism.”

Added Lapid: “We are making every effort to maintain good relations with Russia, but there is a line, and this time the line has been crossed. The Russian government must apologize to us and to the Jewish people.”

Russia’s embassy in Israel declined to comment on Lavrov’s statements or on the summons to the Foreign Ministry.

Condemnations also came from leaders and organizations across the world.

US Special Envoy to Monitor & Combat Antisemitism@USEAntisemitism

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: “So when they say ‘How can Nazification exist if we’re Jewish?’ In my opinion, Hitler also had Jewish origins, so it doesn’t mean absolutely anything.”

The office of the US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism tore into Lavrov, saying in a lengthy Twitter thread that “the Kremlin’s claim that Ukraine is a hotbed of Nazism is a blatant lie and yet another of the false pretexts for Putin’s war of choice. This isn’t the first time they’ve cynically accused its neighbors of neo-Nazism and fascism as cover for its own provocations & human rights abuses.

“Not only are the Kremlin’s accusations against Ukraine false, its disinformation detracts from real and critically-important worldwide efforts to combat antisemitism, Holocaust distortion and denial and other dangerous forms of racially- or ethnically-motivated violent extremism.

“To invoke the lie of ‘denazification’ in Ukraine, a country with a Jewish president and a significant Jewish population living in peace among their fellow citizens, is baseless and cruelly deranged.”

The head of Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, Dani Dayan, accused Lavrov of a “blood libel” for his comments.

“If Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov asks to visit Yad Vashem to learn, we will welcome him. He crossed a red line; blaming the Jews for the Holocaust is an unacceptable blood libel,” Dayan told Army Radio.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also lashed out at his Russian counterpart, saying in a video statement sent to the Kan public broadcaster that “this is the perverted logic of the Russian elite.”

“Even Minister Lavrov, who knows what diplomacy is, cannot hide anymore the deeply rooted antisemitism — the antisemitism that is deeply rooted into Russian elites.”

“Let’s admit the fact that Russians hate other nations. They believe in the supremacy of their own nation over others, and this is why this regime must be stopped in its aggressive plans and actions,” he added.

In Berlin, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters: “I think the Russian propaganda being spread here by Foreign Minister Lavrov needs no comment – it’s absurd.”

Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-says-message-made-clear-in-rebuke-of-russian-envoy-over-lavrov-remarks/

The post Israel: ‘Message made clear’ in rebuke of Russian envoy for Lavrov’s Hitler remarks first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Read more: BulgarianMilitary.com 24/7 – War in Syria: Who controls what and what happens

One of the Russian brigades’ commanders told TASS that joint exercises are currently being held between the Russian and Syrian military. The primary purpose of the practices is evacuation training, tactical reinforcements, and repulsed by enemy attacks. “Our mission is to monitor the ceasefire, show the Russian military presence and protect the Russian military,” he said.

After some time ago, the Syrian military managed to drive out several terrorist armed groups loyal to Turkey. The Russian military police took control of the patrol. Russia currently has five observation and reconnaissance military posts in the area, monitored by UN peacekeepers.

It is unclear how Israel will react to Russian actions in the region and whether this will not affect future Israeli attacks. Israel continues to claim that it is in this area of ​​Syria that Iranian forces and their supporters are operating. However, Russia has decided to send troops to the place, aiming to prove the truth of Israeli allegations. The presence of Russian forces ensures that there will be no future armed clashes in the region.

Israel launched massive airstrikes on Syrian targets, Damascus says

The Syrian Ministry of Defense has confirmed on November 25 that the Israeli Air Force has launched multiple airstrikes against targets along the Quneitra-Damascus line. This was also reported by the Lebanese news agency Al-Masdar News, citing military sources.

The Ministry of Defense of the Syrian Arab Republic [SAR] informs: “Exactly at 23:50 [local time – ed.] on the night of November 25, the Zionist enemy launched an airstrike from the Israeli-occupied Golan towards southern Damascus, and the losses were limited by material means”. Other agencies report that heavy attacks by Israeli strike aircraft have targeted the Jabal El Mania Heights [south of Damascus] and the vicinity of Al Quneitra. Photos of IDF Air Force attacks have appeared online. Some photographs taken from a distance show that Israeli planes hit their intended target.

Experts note that the Israeli military is seeking to squeeze out the Iranian troops and the Tehran-controlled Shiite militia цHezbollah and others; from the SAR, as soon as possible, or, at least, have time to inflict unacceptable damage on them. This rush is timed to coincide with the assumption of the presidency of the United States, Joe Biden, as Israel does not count on the support of his administration. Moreover, Jerusalem fears a resurgence of the nuclear deal and Washington’s relationship with Iran, which is Israel’s existential enemy.

BulgarianMilitary.com recalls that on November 18 according to the Syrian state news agency SANA, the Israeli air force has carried out large-scale airstrikes on positions of the Syrian army and Iranian special forces Al-Quds in the area of ​​the Syrian capital Damascus.

The strikes took place early at the morning [November 18 – ed.] and were confirmed by the Russian side, as a number of media officially quoted a press release from the Russian Ministry of Defense, including the Russian media RIA Novosti. According to the Syrian news agency SANA, earlier this morning the Syrian air defense managed to repel another Israeli attack.

Syria claims the strikes began in the Golan Heights and so far the Syrian army has lost three soldiers who were killed in the strikes. Israel has not clearly violated the airspace of the Arab Republic and may have used the F-16, and with the precise use of air-to-surface missiles has managed to strike the positions of the Syrian army and Iranian special forces Al-Quds. Al-Quds is a special unit of the Iranian army that is responsible for Iran’s operations outside the country.

Military experts say Israeli strikes on November 18 were a response to Syrian actions until days ago when Bashar al-Assad’s army installed and loaded highly destructive explosive devices along the border between the two countries, better known as the Alpha Line.

Syria and Israel have not had diplomatic relations since the creation of the two countries. The military conflict between the two countries has been going on for decades, mostly over the ownership of the Golan Heights. Israel periodically launches airstrikes on the Syrian army or on Syrian army positions around Damascus. Tel Aviv is also trying to destroy the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, which is based in Syria and is supporting the Syrian army.

War in Syria

In February, Turkey lost at least 62 troops killed in Syria, nearly 100 soldiers were wounded, dozens of Turkish armored vehicles were destroyed and more than ten drones, including drones, were shot down. Washington has repeatedly accused Moscow of involvement in the deaths of Turkish soldiers, Russia rejects these allegations.

In early March, the presidents of Russia and Turkey, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, concluded an agreement according to which a ceasefire came into force in the Idlib de-escalation zone. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad later said that if the US and Turkish military did not leave the country, Damascus would be able to use force.

The reason for the Russian-Turkish negotiations was a sharp aggravation of the situation in Idlib, where in January a large-scale offensive by the Syrian army against the positions of the armed opposition and terrorists began.

Government forces recaptured nearly half of the Idlib de-escalation zone and left behind a number of Turkish observation posts. After that, Ankara sharply increased its military contingent in the region and launched the operation “Spring Shield” to push the Syrian troops. Turkey is also supported by militants loyal to it.

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Source: https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2020/12/12/russia-sent-troops-to-the-golan-heights-in-syria-will-the-israeli-attacks-stop/

The post Russia sent troops to the Golan Heights in Syria. Will the Israeli attacks stop? first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

“The meeting planned for tomorrow between the prime minister and President Putin has been delayed by a few days, as agreed upon between both sides. The two will hold a telephone conversation tomorrow and a new date for the meeting will be set soon,” the official said.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Putin and Netanyahu were to discuss the situation in the Middle East, including Syria. The official did not say why the meeting was put off.

The post Netanyahu-Putin meeting delayed: Israeli official first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on 21 January that it had hit alleged Iranian military facilities in Syria, including weapons depots in the area of Damascus International Airport, an intelligence centre, and a training camp, in response to a reported rocket strike on the Golan Heights.

The post Israeli Strikes on Sovereign Syria Must Be Stopped – Moscow first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

File photo: Missile fire over Damascus, Syria, January 21, 2019.SANA via Reuters

• Syria: If Israel can strike Damascus, we can strike Tel Aviv

• Satellite images show damage caused by Israeli strike on Damascus Airport

• After striking Syria, Netanyahu boasts about ‘renovating’ Damascus airport

Russia said on Wednesday that Israel should stop carrying out what it called arbitrary air strikes on Syria days after the Israeli air force targeted Iranian forces there.

Israel, which regards Iran as its biggest threat, has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets in Syria and those of allied militia, including Lebanon‘s Hezbollah.

“The practice of arbitrary strikes on the territory of a sovereign state, in this case, we are talking about Syria, should be ruled out,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, in answer to a question from Russian news agency TASS about recent Israeli air strikes on Syria.

>> Read more: Syria: If Israel can strike Damascus, we can strike Tel Aviv ■ In its battle against Iran, Israel is dependent on Russia’s plans for Syria ■ Israel and Iran are on a collision course in Syria – and the U.S. and Russia don’t care ■ A potential danger on the northern front

She said such strikes added to tensions in the region, something she said was not in the long-term interests of any country there, including Israel.

“We should never allow Syria, which has suffered years of armed conflict, to be turned into an arena where geopolitical scores are settled,” TASS cited her as saying.

Also on Wednesday, Syria’s UN envoy called on the Security Council to take measures against Israel’s assault on Syrian territories, as reported by the Syrian news agency Sana, wondering whether it would take a Syrian attack on Tel Aviv Airport to draw the council’s attention.

“Does drawing the attention of the war-makers in this Council require us to exercise our legitimate right to self-defense and respond to Israeli aggression on Damascus International Airport by responding in the same way on Tel Aviv Airport?” the Syrian envoy, Dr. Bashar Al-Ja’afari, asked.

On Sunday night, the Israeli military announced that it struck Syrian and Iranian targets, including sites of the Revolutionary Guards‘ Quds Force, in response to a surface-to-surface missile fired toward northern Israel a day earlier. Satellite images show that damage was incurred to several structures in Damascus International Airport.

Twenty-one people were killed in the strike, according to a war watchdog report on Tuesday, which also noted that at least 12 of them were members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

Earlier on Wednesday, Syria’s United Nations envoy called on the world body’s Security Council to take measures against Israel’s actions.

“Does drawing the attention of the war-makers in this Council require us to exercise our legitimate right to self-defense and respond to Israeli aggression on Damascus International Airport by responding in the same way on Tel Aviv Airport?” the Syrian envoy, Dr. Bashar Al-Ja’afari, asked.

Al-Ja’afri also accused UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov of being equivocal rather than definitive in calling out Israel’s “daily crimes” and breaches of UN resolutions.

Source: https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/israel-s-arbitrary-airstrikes-on-syria-must-stop-russia-warns-1.6869172

The post Israel’s ‘Arbitrary’ Airstrikes on Syria Must Stop, Russia Warns first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

The post Analysis ‘With Russian Presence in Syria, Israel Air Force Has to Be Very Precise’ first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Source: https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/110504/netanyahu-to-meet-putin-again/

The post Netanyahu to Meet Putin Again first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Israel’s Arutz Sheva radio reported on Monday that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sent a clear message to Russia that it must not sell its advanced S-300 air defense system to the Syrian regime.

This after Moscow had reportedly been reconsidering its decision not to sell the S-300 to Damascus following a joint US-British-French air raid on Syria over the weekend.

Russia is trying to help Syrian dictator Bashar Assad stay in power, and Israeli, US and other Western air strikes have primarily targeted forces loyal to his regime and those of his Iranian and Hezbollah allies.

Israel’s warning to Russia, and the possibility that Russia will anyway supply Syria with advanced air defenses, has heightened concerns that the region, and perhaps the world, is on the brink of a major all-out war.

Source: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/Default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=33807

The post Israel Sets Red Line for Russia Amid Rising Fear of War first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.