Liberman: Israel won’t allow buildup of Iranian, Hezbollah forces on Golan

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman tells Russian ministers Israel “won’t allow concentrations of Iranian and Hezbollah forces on the Golan Heights,” during a meeting in Moscow.

Speaking with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Liberman expresses Israel’s concern that Iran is using Syrian territory to smuggle guns to Hezbollah in Lebanon — something Israel says it cannot abide.

Israel and Russia have maintained a level of security coordination in order to prevent conflicts between their two militaries in Syria, where Moscow is working to back Syrian President Bashar Assad and Israel occasionally carries out airstrikes.

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on April 26, 2017. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Liberman notes there have been “nine meetings between IDF representatives and representatives from the Russian Army thus far,” and says the coordination mechanism has “proven itself effective at preventing unnecessary conflict.”

— Judah Ari Gross