In an incident which could suggest a significant shift in policy, the most recent Israeli attack on Syria, in Hama, saw Russian forces firing on them with S-300 anti-aircraft missiles. The planes were not in danger, but this is the first time Russia has taken such fire on them.
Syria has a large quantity of Russian-made anti-aircraft systems, and the Syrian military itself has regularly used them to intercept missiles or chase Israeli warplanes.
Russia has provided Syria those weapons, and has provided upgraded versions like the advanced S-300. Those weapons have remained in part in Russian hands. The systems are positioned around Russian facilities in the west of the country.
Russia has at times objected to Israeli attacks in Syria, and ordered them away from the coast. Israel sometimes claims an “understanding,” though this firing suggests that understanding is increasingly limited.
S-300s are a very capable sort of anti-aircraft missiles, and capable of threatening Israeli warplanes all over Syrian airspace. This is clearly a fight Israel wouldn’t want.
It may be too soon to draw any conclusions on this, but Israel is likely to be more reticent on casually striking Syria in the near future if they aren’t sure of the response they will get.
Russia had to remove most of their ground troops from Syria to help out in Ukraine.
This means the remaining Russian and allied forces have to step up deterrence against NATO and Israel.
Russia should have blown the very first Israeli bombers out of the skies over Syria instead of waiting so long.
Right on , Mary. All I can say is that it’s About. F*cking. Time.
Russia has been a historical ally of Syria for decades. I never understood why they tolerated Syria being bombed by the Zionazis.
Watch out, IsraHell; you’re f*cking with a fellow nuclear power now, and they have a LOT more than you do.
It felt good reading your post!
Glad I can help, Donna! 😁
So… you think Putin is going to risk losing Moscow or SPB for the sake of Syria? Really? These days the old man is likely shell-shocked at the monumental failure of his military.
Something you might want to consider is that of all the nations on the planet, Israel is the one MOST LIKELY to resort to nuking any enemy that poses an existential threat. They’ve had this unbeatable secret weapon since the 60s. THEY HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.
I wish they would try, we need to test the F35 against the S300 nice if the Israelis do it for us
If reports can be believed, a couple of years ago the IAF flew a surveillance mission over Tehran. The F-35s penetrated the S-400 air defense grid, took lots of pics and egressed the area after a leisurely flight – in broad daylight. Considering how poorly Russian military hardware has proven to be in Ukraine, Vlad might want to avoid having Russia’s BEST air defense system humiliated just now. Bad for business, innit?
Broad daylight seems a stretch they aren’t invisible to eyeballs. Also isn’t Tehran a bit of a range issue for the f35
The article I read did not touch on the fuel issue but yes, the aircraft would have had to tank going both ways and the IDF has mid-air refueling capabilities. Also, they have an erstwhile ally in Azerbaijan so they have some redundancy built into the plan just in case it went wrong. Remember also that this jet flew recon only and could use drop tanks for part of the mission. As long as they consumed the fuel then dropped the stealth spoiling profile of the aircraft, they could get the job done without detection.
As for those eyeballs, if a plane is flying at a high enough altitude and has a properly camouflaged under carriage, it’d be relatively easy to stay “invisible”.
You’re one sick puppy.
Russia needs every ally it can get, especially right now. But don’t lose hope, Russia, Turkey, Iran, and several other Islamic nations WILL form a coalition and surround and attack da Joos. Smiling yet?
The Israel Palestinian conflict is going to eventually cause huge numbers of dead and displaced people. Won’t that be wonderful? Just a little heads up though, enjoy watching the Hamas and Hizballah savages dancing on the bodies of Israelis while you can. They will not prevail for more than a matter of 3.5 years – MAX. THEN those savages will be permanently eradicated from the region. At that point, Israel will never be invaded again. You’ll have to get your hate-fix elsewhere.
Savages=Zionazis.
As Thomas would say: fixed, no charge.
However there WILL be a charge for multiple corrections. I’m not as nice as Thomas.
Well neighbor, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. I’m just curious though, what does your solution for dealing with Zionazis consist of? Serious question and I ask it with all due respect.
Israel withdrawing to its pre-1967 borders.
‘Nuff said.
Occupation and colonization are ILLEGAL under international law.
“The planes were not in danger”??? WTF?
Bad aim?
It was a “shot over the bow” it seems.
Correct. A warning.
Possibly.
Or maybe it was a test to see if the S-300 could deal with US-made aircraft and their ECM, etc.
The Usmade aircraft have no doubt been modifed once they have been delivered.
The S-300 missing their targets was a planned move.
Israel-Russia relations always an enigma.. Russia maybe just reminding Israel, its attentions are not entirely devoted to Ukraine.
I am a peace activist, I do not support war…. But, I do support the right to self defense in the face of naked aggression. Israel better cool its jets before things escalate…
Iran’s naked agressino against Israel are self evident.
Papua NewGinuea’s naked aggression is not acceptable .Israel will defend itself from non combatant Syrians ’s sky land and the sea. Fiji is another whose aggression will not be tolerated and Jordan will be attacked.
I think Wolofwotz Rumsfeld Perle and the hired carpetbagger-Laurent Murawiec -guy from France-S Africa-Israel presented something like this in the Defense Policy Board – Egypt is the prize,Joradn the weakling, Saudi the pivot . That wa the heyday of the Sharon’s OSP .
“The very last slide declared the “Grand strategy for the Middle East” in three bullet points.
Iraq is the tactical pivot
Saudi Arabia the strategic pivot
Egypt the prizehttps://www.cnbc.com/2011/02/02/does-anyone-remember-egypt-the-prize.html
https://www.antiwar.com/ips/lobe080703.html
The story, published on August 6, 2002, described a 24-slide presentation given by Rand Corp analyst Laurent Murawiec in July of 2002. His audience was the Defense Policy Board, an advisory panel of wonky foreign policy nerds.
But a lot of people also noticed the weird end of the presentation. The very last slide declared the “Grand strategy for the Middle East” in three bullet points.
Iraq is the tactical pivot
Saudi Arabia the strategic pivot
Egypt the prize
What was so striking about this is that no one knew what the hell it meant. Sure we were angling for war with Iraq.
https://www.cnbc.com/2011/02/02/does-anyone-remember-egypt-the-prize.html
I get it, the booby prize.
Please list them in chronological order. Like assassinations, nuclear facility sabotages and such.
The attack on the Israeli embassy in Argentina.
Are you going to do one at a time or is that the list?
its more than you deserve.
In other words, your “naked aggression” was just a load of bullsh*t as usual. You never want to face the truth. The naked aggression is in the form of assassinations, sabotages and bombing with impunity. Israel does those things, not Iran.
Hi WRU:
I know you can’t hear it but that is the sound of me clapping my hands!!!
👏👏👏
Wars, you are so right on that if I weren’t already married, you’d be getting a proposal from me 😉
Hmmm, a marriage proposal on AW, would that be a first?
I’m blushing.
❤️😉
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! How many Israeli scientists has Iran murdered? Is Iran now attacking another country as Israel is (Syria)?
Hi Jake:
Why do you attend this website at all?… This website is neither pro-war, nor pro-Zionist…
He went into Hibernation…!
I am antiwar and pro Zionist 80%of the time.Why don’t you support my right to free speech?
Would that mean you are pro war and Anti Zionist 20% of time…?!
1.I serve as a balance to the strong anti Israel animus on this site. There is no fun preaching to the converted, or engaging a a mutual circle you know what with biased people.
2.You should support my freedom to speak.
3.I could not wait to see the concept of Christians killing Christians being blamed on “the Jews”.
4.I enjoy showing bigots up.
I can’t speak for Jake but since I agree with most of his points, I can say that I’M here because I like to see if I can make a positive impression on those who seem so hate-filled over Israel that they kid themselves that some day that nation will be eradicated, the “peaceful Palestinians” will regain all of the land between the “river and the sea” and life will be grand again… well… except or the 6-7 million Jews who are ethnically cleansed from land they’ve inhabited for nearly 80 years.
Folks, I believe every person has an absolute right to choose who they support in such situations. It’s counter-productive, however, to assume the media have an accurate grasp of the facts on the ground there.
Israelis aren’t going to be pushed off the land their ancestors have possessed over millennia, and which THEY have lived on for nearly 80 years in the modern era.
To sum up – most of you will deny Jew hatred is at the nexus of your opinions about the Palestinians but you very clearly demonstrate that you’d shed no tears, no matter how many dead Israelis it required to push them off that land. That’s not a good look for you folks.
NO ONE HERE is calling for dead Israelis, you complete and utter fool.
The intelligent and compassionate people who frequent this website ( there are always exceptions, such as yourself) are calling upon the world to eliminate the TORMENT OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
Oh the Jews have been there 80 years? 😂😂😂 How about the THOUSANDS of years that Palestine was inhabited by, er, Palestinians?
The undeniable fact is that Palestine was stolen from its own people and handed over to the Jews because of western guilt-trip over the Holocaust, which was perpetrated by EUROPEANS, not Palestinians. But the Palestinians are the ones paying the price.
Now, if you cannot manage to comprehend these facts, then I suggest you move on over to the Times of Israel org some other such hasbara site. Most of us on AW don’t really care for your ilk: we’ll chew you up and spit you out.
“NO ONE HERE is calling for dead Israelis”
Incorrect.
“Oh the Jews have been there 80 years?”
Closer to 6,000 years.
But you do kind of get to the heart of the issue, which is whether Palestinian Jews should have their own state, whether that state should be empowered to exclude and/or oppress non-Jewish Palestinians, etc.
Thomas
The TWO STATE solution is the ONLY viable alternative.
And the Zios are eliminating that possibility at every turn with ever-expanding ILLEGAL settlements.
There will be no justice for the Palestinians until they are in control of their own destinies.
I prefer the no-state solution.
As for the two-state solution, there are already two states — the state of Palestine is recognized by the majority of the world’s other regimes, is an observer state at the UN, and is a member of the International Criminal Court. The Israeli regime not “recognizing” that Palestinian Arab regime doesn’t change the fact of its existence.
Riiiight Thomas, and the Palestinians have certainly benefited from THAT, haven’t they?
The world looks the other way while the Palestinians are being colonized out of existence.
Yes, the Palestinian are being colonized so “out of existence” that their population growth rate routinely exceeds that of Jewish Palestinians, aka Israelis.
Yes, the Palestinian are being colonized so “out of existence” that their population growth rate routinely exceeds that of Jewish Palestinians, aka Israelis.
Yes, the Palestinian Arabs are being colonized so “out of existence” that their population growth rate routinely exceeds that of Palestinian Jews, aka Israelis.
How many have been displaced, Thomas?
How many farms have been stolen to make way for squatters?
Where are they going to build the thousands more units of housing for Israeli Jews?
How many have been forced to emigrate? I met a gentleman just a few days ago who had come from Bethlehem, though in truth I don’t know why he chose to come here; relatives, I would guess.
If you think that just because Palestinians have high birth rates that the Israelis won’t steal ever more of their land, you’d be very wrong indeed.
“If you think something that nothing you said would give anyone any reason to believe you think, and that has nothing whatsoever to do with what you said, you’d be very wrong indeed.”
Fixed, no charge.
“NO ONE HERE is calling for dead Israelis”
Incorrect.
“Oh the Jews have been there 80 years?”
Closer to 6,000 years.
But you do kind of get to the heart of the issue, which is whether Palestinian Jews should have their own state, whether that state should be empowered to exclude and/or oppress non-Jewish Palestinians, etc.
“NO ONE HERE is calling for dead Israelis”
Incorrect.
“Oh the Jews have been there 80 years?”
Closer to 6,000 years.
But you do kind of get to the heart of the issue, which is whether Palestinian Jews should have their own state, whether that state should be empowered to exclude and/or oppress non-Jewish Palestinians, etc.
Chew me up and spit me out? Because I disagree with you? I guess my mistake was thinking this might be a serious discussion forum. I seem to have wandered into an anti-Israel echo chamber where the denizens get REALLY stressed if anyone challenges their beliefs. Guys, whatever else this site may have going for it, your attitude makes it appear to be infantile, even vicious.
As for the “torment” of the Palestinian people, they, like all other members of a national polity, have a duty to carefully choose who represents them. They consistently (when given the opportunity) choose the candidates who express the most hate against Israel. If they feel justified in this then it’s their right to vote as they see fit. However… when the very identity of a people is based on destroying a perceived enemy at all costs, they have to understand, there WILL be costs.
Historically, when Palestinians have refrained from bombing, shooting, stabbing, and using vehicles to run down Israelis in the streets, there has been a pretty placid atmosphere between the two groups. Occasionally the Israeli government relaxes the barriers to encourage more peaceful interaction but Hamas always uses that lapse to renew the killings. Those barriers had to be created precisely because of the murderous ambitions of the Palestinian leadership.
Ultimately, the Palestinians and Israelis will continue to suffer and die until one people or the other is eradicated off that land. Support who you like, I’ll do the same.
Just FYI:
Abbas is Israel’s bitch.
As for Hamas, I liken them to the IRA, who freed Ireland from the tyrannical grip of the UK.
And the good people of Ireland feel the same.
And when you discount the rights of the Palestinian people, you’re damned right I’ll get vicious.
No, no, no! Only Israel has a right to self defense. Just ask Jake.
Despite the obvious bias against Israel on this site, I can tell you – if you are sincere in wanting to understand the situation in that region – that Israel may be geographically the size of a postage stamp but its military is capable of doing MASSIVE amounts of damage in that region.
The reality is that Syria and the Hizballah are preparing a capability to strike Israel’s Gas production platforms and Israel understands this AND has identified where these assets have been delivered. That raid on Syria totally destroyed a rather impressive underground bunker system that Syria had been building for quite a while.
More strikes will be coming and they’ll stop when those anti-ship missiles have been turned into vapor. If Vladimir Vladimirovich decides to shoot down an Israeli aircraft, his list of failed decisions will have reached their pinnacle.
Oh You’re just pissed off because Hezbollah handed the IDF their asses. 😝
The Hizballah hardly “won” that dust-up but yes, they DID manage to hurt the IDF more than anyone expected at the time. They were able to do it mainly because Israel wasn’t prepared for the Russian Kornet anti-armor weapons that Hizballah used, and used quite effectively.
The other contributing factor was the leadership vacuum in Tel Aviv. If you recall, Israel and Hizballah stumbled into that fight. NEITHER of them really wanted it and Hizballah made a miscalculation that couldn’t be ignored. Israel had a Liberal government at the time and the response to go to war was probably taken so as to not look weak. However, Nasrallah admitted that had he known what Israel’s response would be to the kidnapping of their soldiers… he’d NEVER have done that operation.
One of the strengths of a professional military is its ability to use a defeat to improve itself. The only certainty is that if Israel goes to war against the Hizballah, Lebanon and Syria are going to look like moonscapes in the aftermath.
I’m sure they’re shaking in their boots.
“That raid on Syria totally destroyed a rather impressive underground bunker system that Syria had been building for quite a while.”
And you know this how?
I got that information from a source I trust online. I took the measure of this forum pretty quickly and I assumed that it is generally anti-Israel and that any source other than one from the far Left would be rejected so I didn’t bother to link to it. If you see that as some kind of victory or sufficient rebuttal then so be it.
The attacks will continue as long as Iran keeps smuggling advanced weapons into Syria, whose purpose is to attack Israel. That sums the situation in a nutshell. Those here who are dedicated to blaming the entire situation on Israel, are welcome to do so but a regional war in the M.E. would be far bloodier than what is happening in Ukraine today.
Those Israeli citizens aren’t going anywhere without first having one hell of a serious fight. If by bombing known supply caches and convoys or interdicting shipping of weapons by sea, Israel can avoid that bloody mess for another day, month, or year, I’m all for that.
What is Iran waiting for? They have the ballistic missiles, they have Hezbollah, they have Hamas and according to you they’ve been smuggling “advanced weapons” into Syria. And of course, their entire existence is dedicated to attacking Israel even though it is Israel that has been doing the constant attacking and has done what would be considered terrorist attacks(assassinations/sabotages) if done by anyone else, especially Iran. But of course, those are also claimed as self defense. So, Iran, Syria and whoever else Israel considers an enemy, are fair game for Israeli attacks because at some point Israel’s existence might be in jeopardy. So what it boils down to is Israel doesn’t really need any actual proof of any immediate existential threat and anything they do will be called self defense. Nice gig if you got the superpower’s congress in your back pocket. Meanwhile Israel and the US plan some war games simulating attacks on Iran. More ways Israel is showing it wants peace.
Wish I could give you 100 upvotes!
He got it from the Daily Hasbara, Wars.
With regards to the Middle East, the world is back to 1918.
The Israeli jet would have been shut down even outside Syrian airspace if the S-300 system was under the control of Syrian army …! This may happen sooner than what Israel thinks…!
Actually that’s the Syrian army (with the help of Iran?) which shot down an Israeli f-16 with old soviet s-125 or “kub” sa-6 systems in 2018
Maybe this was a warning shot since they didn’t locked onto the aircraft, i really doubt Russia would start suddenly shutting down their aircrafts
Russia warned Israel, Syrian operators will shut them down hopefully letting them use S-300s or some Iranian hardware
One of Israeli targets was a scientific facility in Masyaf. The missiles Israeli jets fired from the Mediterranean Sea must have sent an alert to Russian base in Hmeimim and triggered them to fire the S-300 warning missile…!
The real issue is not whether the S-300 can hit an F-35.
It is whether Russia chooses to shut down all civilian air traffic into and out of Israel. Those missile have the range and position to cover all of Israel’s commercial air traffic.
Of course the IAF would respond, but short of overwhelming certainty of total defeat, the civilian traffic would still be shut down.
That is the fire with which they play, not just one or two strike fighters on a mission.
Please take down IDF terror planes…Israel is a rogue state deserving to be isolated and shunned until it renounces its state sponsored terror/murder policies.
Now that Russia has been ostracized by the West and have nothing to loose, I can see them taking a more active role in the ME in favor of some countries.
I hope that’s true, Marti, as soon as they finish the mopping-up operation in Ukrainazia.