PM to Putin: Israel will not tolerate Hezbollah’s aggression

Israel won’t tolerate Hezbollah’s threat along its northern border, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday as he updated him on Operation Northern Shield.

“Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s policy to prevent the establishment of an Iranian presence in Syria and to act against Iranian and Hezbollah aggression,” the Prime Minister’s Office said after the meeting. “The two agreed that security delegations from the two countries will meet soon and that a meeting between the leaders would be coordinated.”

According to the Kremlin, Netanyahu placed the calls. Last month in Paris, the two men spoke briefly face to face on the sidelines of memorial events marking 100 years since the end of World War II.

Russian-Israeli ties have been strained since September, when Moscow charged Israel with being responsible for the downing of one of its military planes of the Syrian air defenses.

Russia’s Embassy in Israel tweeted details of the conversation, noting that Moscow had “stressed the need to ensure stability” along the demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

“It was emphasized that a contact between experts of the defense ministries within the joint working group is relevant,” the embassy said. “Putin emphasized the necessity to improve the Russian-Israeli interaction in the

military sphere.” •