Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu said that Tel Aviv’s exit from the current impasse in relations with Moscow is important for Israel’s interests.

In a statement, he explained: “During my tenure, I worked to establish a strong relationship with Russia and to cooperate in various areas, including military coordination regarding our operations in Syria, which gave us freedom of military action and prevent Iran from gaining a foothold on our borders. Release of two Israeli citizens detained by Russia and payment of pension benefits to immigrants to Israel.”

Netanyahu noted: “Now what we have built over the past two weeks over the years is being destroyed due to recklessness”, stressing that “relations with Russia are important to our national security and what has been sabotaged must be restored”, and added: “I have a request from Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz to work to repair this damage as quickly as possible in our interests.”

He added: “I will return to power and work to create an expanded government and we will fix what was corrupt, but now I have a demand from Lapid and Gantz: stop gossip.”