A chief rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar said that Moscow’s decision to give Syria advanced anti-aircraft missiles S-300 is a "mistake".
"I think it’s a mistake that will only augment the region’s problems," Lazar told the Israeli journalist Eli Mandelbaum about the missile transfer.
The rabbi added that he and his organization "speak about [the S-300 issue] with the president," referencing Putin.
"We explain, I’d say, the sensitivity of this issue to our brethren in Israel, in Zion, and we hope Israel and Russia can continue to cooperate in stopping terrorism, stopping Iran, and that Israel will continue to guard its borders and neutralize any threat before it reaches its doorstep," Haaretz cited Lazar as saying.
Russia is giving Syria the S-300 system following the downing last month of a Russian intelligence gathering aircraft by Syrian forces responding to an Israeli strike over Syrian airspace. Russia has blamed Israel for the incident, which killed 15 Russian soldiers.
