MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/. The secretaries of Russian and Israeli defense councils, Nikolai Patrushev and Meir Ben-Shabbat, have noted Russia’s efforts to stabilize the situation in the Middle East during the Russian-Israeli defense consultations.

"It was noted that the Russian Federation makes efforts to stabilize the situation in the region, to achieve political and diplomatic settlement of crises in the Middle East," the Russian Security Council’s press service said in a statement.

The participants of the consultations said that Russia and Israel "are at the front line of struggle against the revival of neo-Nazi movements in a number of states."

"It was stressed that our countries are close in their rejection of anti-Semitism; jointly oppose attempts to falsify history and to "glorify" Nazism, to deny the Holocaust and the Soviet Union’s crucial role in the victory over the Nazi Germany," the statement reads.

The officials also discussed bilateral military cooperation, cooperation of the two states’ special services, law-enforcement agencies and judicial ministries.

Among other issues discussed at the meeting was the security aspect of Russia's preparations to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

"The sides agreed that Israel and Russia have amassed vast experience in the fight against terrorism, that they are facing common challenges and threats posed by international terrorist organizations," the statement reads.