Liberman in Moscow: ‘Israel will not allow concentration of Iranian forces in Golan’

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister joined Avigdor Liberman in voicing opposition to an Iranian presence in Syria at Moscow’s International Security Conference.

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman reiterated during a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday that Israel would not accept the creation of a new Iranian front in Syria.

Liberman, who is in the Russian capital for the city’s International Security Conference, said that Israel would “not allow the concentration of Iranian and Hezbollah forces on the Golan Heights.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Russia in March to convey a similar message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Israel’s Defense Minister was not the only one at the conference to express opposition to an Iranian front in Syria.

“We are working to put an end to Iran and Hezbollah’s involvement in the region,” Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said.”(Syrian President) Bashar al-Assad has no place in Syria’s future, and Hezbollah has no place anywhere in the world.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized Russia’s vehement disagreement with Israel and Saudi Arabia saying that “clearly we are not on the same page in that regard, to put it mildly.”

“As for the presence of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria, as you may well be aware, we do not consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization,” Lavrov said at a joint press conference with his Saudi counterpart.

“We operate on the premise that both (Iran and Hezbollah) were invited to Syria by a legitimate government,” he continued. “Nonetheless, we share the view that all without exception…who have any influence on these sides should be involved in the process if we want to resolve this crisis.”

The only actors that Lavrov expressed opposition towards participating in the Syrian peace process were those who are designated as terrorist organizations by the UN Security Council.

“Of course, terrorist organizations recognized as such by the UN Security Council, such as ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra, must be excluded from the process,” he said.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

Adel al-JubeirIranLavrovLibermanRussiaSyria