Israel and the Russia/Georgia conflict

Ha'aretz reports that the Israeli Foreign Ministry is recommending that Israel pull back from its ties to Georgia to avoid increased Russian arms sales to Iran and Syria (Foreign Ministry: Halt arms sales to Georgia by Barak Ravid and Amos Harel 08/10/08). They write:

Israel is not considered to be one of the main arms suppliers of Georgia. The scope of the defense deals between the two countries stands at $200 million. The two largest suppliers to Georgia are the United States and France.

However, the security ties between the two countries have received a great deal of media attention, in part because of the capture, on film, of a Russian jet downing an Israeli-made drone in Georgian service, and the role that senior retired Israeli officers have played as advisers to the Georgian security forces.

Ravid and Harel report that concern about Russia sales of anti-aircraft missiles to Iran are a major factor in the Israeli decision to halt its arms sales to Georgia:

The Foreign Ministry has recommended a complete halt to the sale of arms and any security-related equipment to Georgia in light of the recent fighting with Russian forces in the Caucasus. This would be a further tightening of an arms boycott on Tbilisi around a year after a decision had been made in Jerusalem to limit exports to Georgia only to defensive equipment. ...

"Israel needs to be very careful and sensitive these days," said a senior political source. "The Russians are selling many arms to Iran and Syria and there is no need to offer them an excuse to sell even more advanced weapons."

The source noted that Israel is particularly interested in the transfer of advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Iran, and therefore Jerusalem must show restraint in its arm sales to Georgia. (my emphasis)

Tags: georgia, israel, russia