by Daniel Siryoti, Yoni Hersch, Ariel Kahana, Eldad Beck, Erez Linn and Israel Hayom Staff
Secret talks reach understandings with Russia that will enable Israel to retain freedom to attack Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria
The Russian forces
currently in Syria will take action to restrain Hezbollah and Iranian
activity there, according to understandings reached by Israel, the
United States, Jordan and Saudi Arabia with Russian President Vladimir
Putin, a Jordanian official confirmed to Israel Hayom.
The understandings are the product of behind-the-scenes diplomatic talks that were underway prior to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision this week to withdraw American forces from Syria.
According to the terms of the
understanding, Russia will continue to give Israel the freedom to strike
Hezbollah and Iranian targets and weaponry that threaten the "balance
of power" in Syria. According to the Jordanian official, it was these
understandings between Trump and Putin that paved the way for the U.S.
decision to pull its forces from Syria.
Other high-ranking Jordanian officials have
confirmed that Jordan, Israel, and Saudi Arabia are working together to
contain the threat posed by Iran and Hezbollah's presence in Syria.
Several of them emphasized that U.S. officials had made it clear that
U.S. intelligence agencies would increase cooperation with Israel,
Jordan and Saudi Arabia, particularly on sharing intelligence, in a
joint attempt to counter Iran's attempt to create a contiguous Shiite
corridor from Tehran to Beirut.
Senior Egyptian intelligence officials say
that, unlike Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Egypt was not
advised ahead of time that the U.S. was pulling out of Syria.
On Thursday, in a meeting with Greek Prime
Minister Alexis Tsiras and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades in
Beersheba, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decried the "Iranian web of
aggression in the Middle East, which also terrorizes Europe and the
entire world."
"Israel launched a campaign to expose and
neutralize cross-border terror tunnels on our northern border with
Lebanon. These tunnels were built by Hezbollah with direct support and
funding from Iran. … Israel will continue to act in Syria to prevent
Iran's effort to militarily entrench itself against us. We are not going
to reduce our efforts; we're going to increase our efforts," Netanyahu
said.
Behind closed doors, Israeli officials were
critical of Trump's decision. One senior minister called it a
"horrifying moral and a bad diplomatic step."
"The move does not serve Israel's
interests, harms the Kurds, strengthens [Turkish President Recep Tayyip]
Erdogan, and will give Iran additional routes through which to send
weapons to Syria," the minister said.
Cabinet ministers and diplomatic officials
have also confirmed to Israel Hayom that while Netanyahu said earlier
this week that Trump had advised him on Monday that he was pulling U.S.
troops out of Syria, and that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had
discussed the matter with him on Tuesday, the information was never
shared with Israel's National Security Council or the cabinet.
One minister told Israel Hayom that he
thought Netanyahu might have been worried that cabinet officials would
vocally criticize the American move. Netanyahu's office declined to
comment.
Daniel Siryoti, Yoni Hersch, Ariel Kahana, Eldad Beck, Erez Linn and Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/12/21/israel-jordan-saudi-arabia-join-forces-against-iran-in-syria/
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