MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. Israel will not raise tensions with Russia over Moscow’s decision to provide Syria with the S-300 air defense systems, while the US will adopt a wait-and-see attitude, experts told TASS on Monday.
"If we speak about tough steps that Israel could take… Engaging in an armed confrontation with the Russian Aerospace Force? I don’t think anyone will go for it, it is not in Israel’s interest to add a serious country such as Russia to the list of its opponents," said Vladimir Fitin, an expert at the Russian institute for Strategic Studies. "Israel will have to put up with Russia’s decision to provide the S-300 systems to Syria," he added.
According to the expert, Russia’s decision will, one way or another, cause relations between Moscow and Tel Aviv to deteriorate because the very deployment of the S-300 systems to Syria will greatly reduce the capabilities of the Israeli Air Force. At the same time, Fitin pointed out that Israeli authorities had made huge efforts to reconcile with Moscow the week before.
"Clearly, it is a matter of principle for Israel because the deployment of such systems will very much complicate airstrikes on facilities that Israel believes to be Iranian, which, in its view, can serve as platforms for missile attacks on Israel," the expert said, adding that Tel Aviv would highly likely have to review its strategy towards Tehran.
US is waiting
Andrei Bystritsky, Chairman of the Board of the Valdai International Discussion Club’s Development and Support Foundation, in turn, said that as for Washington, it would keep an eye on the S-300 situation, responding to the start of deliveries rather than to Russian statements.
"I think that [the US] will show a negative response. In any case, the United States will first hold consultations with Israel and will continue to keep an eye on actual developments," he said. According to Bystritsky, for the US, "the actual delivery will be more important because we live in a time of symbols when statements are one thing and actions another."
The expert stressed that "behind-the-scenes talks between the parties are not over yet and the US should not be expected to take practical steps before this stage concludes." "Everything will depend on Israel’s attitude and possible agreements that we don’t know about," Bystritsky noted.
Il-20 crash and S-300 delivery
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, on September 17, contact was lost with a Russian Il-20 aircraft flying over the Mediterranean Sea back to the Russian Hmeimim air base in Syria. The ministry said the aircraft had disappeared from radar during an airstrike four Israeli F-16 fighter jets carried out on targets in the Syrian province of Latakia.
On September 18, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the Il-20 aircraft had been accidently downed by Syrian air defenses as the Israeli F-16 jets had been using it as cover.
The Israeli Air Force and those who made the decision to use the Il-20 aircraft as cover are solely to blame for its crash, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said at a briefing on September 23.
Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu announced on Monday that Moscow would provide two S-300 air defense systems to the Syrian army within the next two weeks in order to strengthen its defense capabilities.