Israeli media revealed Sunday that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has begun secret talks with the Russian government on ending the ongoing war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah terrorists.
Although Hezbollah is armed and funded by Iran, the terrorist group uses many Russian weapons. Moreover, Russia has relied on Iran for drones in its ongoing war in Ukraine, and is thought to hold some sway with the Iranian regime.
The Times of Israel reported, citing Israeli news outlet Ynet:
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer secretly visited Russia last week, Army Radio reported Sunday, in what appeared to be part of Israel’s efforts to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon where it is battling the terror group Hezbollah.
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Dermer then flew to Washington on Saturday night for talks with US officials, the Ynet outlet reported.
Russia is a major player in Syria, and its cooperation in a diplomatic arrangement to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah could be an important piece of a deal that keeps the Iran-backed group from rearming.
It is possible that Donald Trump’s election Tuesday spurred the Israeli-Russian talks. Trump has promised a return to diplomacy between the U.S. and Russia, and has also promised to end the ongoing war in Lebanon, which Hezbollah started.
Trump’s victory has also been accompanied by a declaration by Qatar that it will boot Hamas terrorist leaders out of the country. That may not have been directly caused by Trump’s win, but it may have been accelerated by it.
Ynet had also reported the arrival of a Russian delegation in Israel in late October, possibly for talks over the war.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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