Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him that their relationship kept their countries from going to war, the Times of Israel reports.
“Putin told me that were it not for our relationship, we could have found ourselves in the midst of a military clash… Only because we meet every few months has this been avoided,” Netanyahu told Army Radio in an interview a day before the primary picking the leadership of his party, Likud.
“We have four times come close to collisions — our planes in Syria’s crowded airspace almost collided with Russian planes,” he added.
Israel coordinates its airstrikes in Syria, which are focused on shipments of weapons for Hezbollah and Iranian military sites, with Russia to avoid such incidents.
Netanyahu also addressed the “absurd” recent Russian court ruling on Israeli-American Naama Issachar, a backpacker who was arrested during a layover in Moscow last April after marijuana was found in her luggage.
“I hope Putin will exercise his pardon power,” he said.
The prime minister avoided answering questions about whether he would seek immunity from prosecution as he faces three corruption cases, or if he plans on staying on as Likud’s chairperson should Israel’s High Court of Justice prevents him from forming a government because of the charges.
Netanyahu faces a challenge from Gideon Sa’ar, former Minister of Education and of the Interior, who told Army Radio in an interview later that day that Israel is missing a “historic opportunity” because the prime minister has failed to form a government twice this year.
“Netanyahu as a person has strengths and weaknesses. I believe I will be better off at decision making and execution,” he said.
“He’s not the only one who can run the party and the country — our history has proven the opposite,” Sa’ar continued. “Indeed, only Netanyahu can’t run the country! He’s just failed [to do so] in two elections.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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