Qassem Mohebali told Entekhab news outlet that Russians constitute a large population in Israel and Russian President Vladimir Putin would not want to take on Israel.
He was commenting in response to Russia’s options regarding Israel’s airstrikes against positions of Iran in Syria.
Mohebali said Putin knows he needs Iran’s help under the western sanctions and also cannot stay silent in the face of Israeli attacks in Syria.
The former diplomat said Israel sending arms to Ukraine has added an additional dimension to the complex situation.
He said this has created paradox, also for Israel, as Tel Aviv does not want its relations with Russia damaged, while it cannot act in a way regarding Ukraine that raises the criticism of the US and Europe.
Still, he says, Russia will not act against Israel in favor of Iran and will probably close its eyes on anti-Iran operations in Syria and settle for sheer criticism, seeing the high costs of military operation against Israel.
