NalonBen David:Netanyahu can’t stop Putin, but he can coordinate with the Russians in Syria/Netanyahu to meet Obama in November, his Battle with Washington over Iran deal served Israel’s interests/to meet Obama in November

Netanyahu: Battle with Washington over Iran deal served Israel’s interests, didn’t harm ties
HERB KEINON/J.Post/09/17/2015/Not only did the bruising battle with US President Barack Obama over the Iran nuclear deal not harm Israel’s ties with the US, but it in fact served Israel’s interests as even supporters of the deal now understand the need to combat Iranian regional aggression and strengthen Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. Netanyahu said that this was made clear during a phone conversation he held Wednesday night with US Secretary of State John Kerry, as well as in recent comments made by Obama. Netanyahu’s remarks came as he was inaugurating a new train line from Ashkelon to Beersheba. It is clear that there was no deterioration in ties with the US as a result of the high-profile disagreement, Netanyahu said, adding that “there cannot be a deterioration” in those ties. Netanyahu recommended to his critics who have slammed him for harming Israel-US ties to show a little “humility.” “I think I know how to navigate Israel relations, how to defend our state, and we are defending it, both against outside challenges and on the borders,” he said. “I have heard all kinds of experts and pundits explain for months that the struggle we have led against the Iranian deal can cause a break, collapse in relations with the US,” he said. “I never understood why the sovereign state of Israel, which represents the Jewish people, cannot lead a campaign against a nuclear deal with a country that declares its intention to destroy us.”“It is my obligation to point out the dangers, he said. “Not only does this not harm Israel, it serves Israel’s interests.” Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Kerry on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York later this month, and meet Obama in Washington on Nov. 9.

Netanyahu to meet Obama in November
Associated Press and Yitzhak Benhorin/Ynetnews/Published: 09.16.15/PM and US President will meet in Washington on November 9 for the first time since the Iran deal was signed. After months of chilly relations, President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet at the White House on November 9, to talk about the Iran nuclear deal that Israel’s government has harshly criticized and tried, without success, to block. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the leaders also would discuss efforts to counter ISIS’s activities in the Mideast. He called the meeting a demonstration “of the deep and enduring bonds between the United States and Israel, as well as our unprecedented cooperation to further enhance Israel’s security.” It will be the first formal meeting between Obama and Netanyahu in months. Obama pointedly refused to see Netanyahu in March, when the Israeli leader appeared before a joint session of Congress and harshly criticized the US-negotiated nuclear deal with Iran, Israel’s enemy. US lawmakers had arranged Netanyahu’s appearance without White House input. Congressional Republicans have failed to block the deal from going forward. The international accord backed by the United States, Iran, and five world powers would curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions that have undercut Tehran’s economy. The United States has committed to provide more than $7.18 billion in security aid to Israel over the next year. Officials have floated the possibility of signing a new 10-year agreement about US-Israeli security cooperation. But Netanyahu’s government has reacted tepidly to that proposal, out of concern that signing such a deal would suggest Israeli acquiescence to the nuclear accord. Earnest said that two leaders’ talks would also include a discussion of “Israel’s relations with the Palestinians, the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and the need for the genuine advancement of a two-state solution.” Israeli police continue to clash with Palestinian protesters at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site during the Jewish new year holiday of Rosh Hashanah. US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet in November to discuss the Iran nuclear deal as well as other regional security issues, the White House said on Wednesday. The Nov. 9 White House meeting will be the first for the two leaders since US-led diplomacy resulted in an Iran nuclear deal that Israel fiercely opposed.

Analysis: Netanyahu can’t stop Putin, but he can coordinate with the Russians in Syria
ALON BEN-DAVID/J.Post/09/17/2015
There is no need to exaggerate the threat posed to Israel by the Russian deployment of troops in Syria, nor must we overblow the importance of the upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin. When it comes to dealing with Putin, even a prime minister that “gets everything he wants” understands he must know his limitations. Netanyahu is not traveling to Moscow to stop the deployment of Russian forces in Syria – he is going in order to coordinate. Russia is preparing the infrastructure for an airbase in Syria at which 1,000 Russian military personnel will be deployed along with MiG-29 fighter jets and SA-22 air defense batteries. A Russian marine force, outfitted with T-90 tanks will also be deployed in order to defend the base – not to take part in the civil war. The army of Syrian President Bashar Assad has been operating SA-22 batteries for a number of years. It is an advanced, autonomous anti-aircraft system for short and medium-range threats that, up until a few years ago, was considered a serious challenge for the Israel Air Force. However, according to foreign reports, the system has not prevented Israel from carrying out air raids in Syria every few months.
The difference this time is that the system will be operated by Russian soldiers and therefore demands cooperation, not just with Israel, but with all of the forces in the anti-ISIS coalition operating in Syrian airspace. This entails getting an understanding of the rules of engagement of the Russian batteries and how they will identify the plane on their radar screen and prevent accidents. The same goes for the fighter jets. The Syrian Air Force has been operating MiG-29 jets for more than two decades. Israel knows this aircraft well, and has trained against it, but must establish rules in order to prevent unwanted encounters between Russian and Israeli pilots. In the War of Attrition, Israeli pilots fought against Russian pilots. The battle ended 5-0 in Israel’s favor, but neither side wants to repeat it. It is important for Israel that Russia avoid deploying systems in the area that are liable to disturb the IAF’s freedom of flight, such as the S-400 or the S-300. Nor does Israel want to see Russia deploy advanced jets with stealth capabilities in Syria. As for the fear that advanced weapons systems could fall into the hands of Hezbollah, Netanyahu has already spoken to Putin about this in the past, but it did not stop him from selling such systems to Syria, with the clear knowledge that some of them were intended for Hezbollah. Russia is a for-profit country. It does not pretend to have moral policy and it has no intention of taking into consideration a foreign interest which does not serve it. Moscow’s support for Assad actually serves Israel’s interests – it could potentially bring stability, which is currently the best scenario for Israel. Assad, bloodied and weak, will continue to control Damascus and the seaports, ISIS will remain in the east and Hezbollah will continue to be tied up in Syria.
**Alon Ben-David is the military commentator for Channel 10.