Just received an updated blog from Joel C Rosenberg regarding PM Netanyahu’s address to Israel. Per Rosenberg, Netanyahu will discuss “ new intelligence about Iran’s nuclear program and new plots Iran is developing against the State of Israel”. The address is scheduled for 1 PM ET. President Trump is holding a joint press conference at 1:30 ET.
Don’t know if the two addresses are connected.
Got a link to Rosenberg’s blog?
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/04/iran-israel-russia-buffer-syria.html
The day before the conference opened, Patrushev met with the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani. Later that day, Patrushev sat down with Eitan Ben-David, deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council.
The meetings led to speculation that Moscow had organized an encounter between Israeli and Iranian officials. Rumors also have it that Russia eyes a bigger mediation role for itself in the Iran-Israel standoff in Syria. On April 25, an informed source at the Russian Security Council strongly denounced each allegation to Iranian news agencies. Two Russian diplomats Al-Monitor contacted declined to comment on the situation.
Such a reaction stems from Russia’s caveats on the back-channel talks — if they indeed are being held — to be successful. They have to remain confidential because a public discussion of such efforts could backfire domestically in both Israel and Iran.
In recent months, there have been many claims that Russia is seriously challenged to continue its balancing act between Iran and Israel. The very nature of the growing confrontation on Syria turf between the two archenemies is complicated. It’s hard to verify whether in its discussions with Tehran, Moscow is bringing up the issue of Hezbollah and other Shiite militias’ presence near the Israeli border. Yet the rationale for Russia’s behavior in the region ultimately stems from attempts to understand and recognize the legitimacy of motivations of certain players — even when it does not share them politically or finds them counter to its own interests. Judging from this approach, Moscow may find Hezbollah’s presence understandable from Iran’s perspective. At the same time, Russia certainly realizes that this presence serves as a constant irritant for Israel and is thus an escalation factor that can’t be ignored if the Kremlin ultimately seeks to fix Syria for the long term.
DOES anymore know if this is true? RUSSIA playing go between for Iran and Israel....
Thanks.