Russia and the Arab – Israeli conflict Russia is a member of the Quartet on the Middle East . For related developments prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 , see the article Soviet Union and the Arab - Israeli conflict . In the 1990s . During the 1990s a massive Jewish immigration ( Aliyah ) took place in which over 1 , 000 , 000 Jews moved from the former Soviet Union , mainly Russia , to Israel . Russian is now the third most widely spoken first language in Israel ( after Hebrew and Arabic ) . This complicates Russia ' s role in the Middle East with many ethnic Russians and wealthy Russian citizens residing or living in Israel . Israel has the fourth - largest number of ethnic Russians , and the third most Russian speakers . Russia ' s return to the Middle East . After 2001 the government of Vladimir Putin intensified Russia ' s involvement in the region , supporting Iran ' s nuclear programs and forgiving Syria 73 % of its $ 13 billion debt . In his September 10 , 2004 article " Middle East Horizons of Russian Foreign Politics : Russia returns to one of the world ' s key regions " , Mikhail Margelov , the Head of the Foreign Relations Council of the Russian Federation , wrote : " President Putin called for the renewal of contacts with the countries with which Russia maintained long friendly relations and invested a lot of material and intellectual resources . The Arab countries constitute a large part of those counties . . . . In general , the positions of Russia and the majority of Arab countries on key issues of development of the political situation in the region coincide . " According to March 2007 brief entitled " Russia ' s New Middle Eastern Policy : Back to Bismarck ? " by Ariel Cohen ( Institute for Contemporary Affairs ) , " Syria . . . was supplying Hizbullah with Russian weapons . In 2006 , Israeli forces found evidence of the Russian - made Kornet - E and Metis - M anti - tank systems in Hizbullah ' s possession in southern Lebanon . The Russian response to accusations that it was supplying terrorist groups with weapons was an announcement , in February 2007 , that Russia ' s military will conduct inspections of Syrian weapons storage facilities with the goal of preventing the weapons from reaching unintended customers . Predictably , such developments placed considerable strain on the already - deteriorating relations between Russia and Israel . . . For several years Russia has been attempting to engage in military cooperation with both Israel and Syria . However , the levels of cooperation with the two states are inversely related and an escalation of arms sales to Syria can only damage the relationship with Israel . Russian - Syrian military cooperation has gone through numerous stages : high levels of cooperation during the Soviet era , which was virtually halted until 2005 , and now Russia ' s attempt to balance its relationship with both Israel and Syria . However , Russia ' s recent eastward leanings might indicate that Moscow is prepared to enter a new stage in its military cooperation with Syria , even if this is to the detriment of its relationship with Israel . Russian - Hamas talks , 2006 . The Russia - Hamas talks of 2006 began on March 3 , 2006 , when Russia n Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal to discuss the future of the peace process in the Israeli - Palestinian conflict after Hamas became the majority party of the Palestinian National Authority Legislative Council , having won a majority of seats in the Palestinian elections . Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by Australia , Canada , the European Union , Israel , Japan , the United Kingdom , and the United States , and is banned in Jordan . On February 10 , 2006 Spanish parliament member told Russian President Vladimir Putin , according to " Kommersant " journalist Andrey Kolesnikov , that Putin does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization . The perspective of giving legitimacy to Hamas have angered some Israeli officials . A cabinet minister Meir Sheetrit accused Putin of " stabbing Israel in the back " . After the interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert communicated with Putin , the Israeli position somewhat softened . In an interview in Russian newspaper " Nezavisimaya Gazeta " published on February 13 , 2006 , Mashal said that Hamas would temporarily stop armed struggle against Israel if it recognized the " 1967 borders " and withdrew itself from all " Palestinian territories " ( including the West Bank and East Jerusalem ) . He refused to acknowledge the Road map for peace , adopted by the Quartet in June 2003 , " since nobody respects it " . The Road map projected the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in 2005 . Following Hamas ' victory in January 2006 , the EU announced that future aid to the Palestinians is tied to " Three Principles " outlined by the international community : During the talks in March 2006 , Lavrov called on the Hamas to comply with the earlier commitments signed by the PLO , and reiterated these three requirements but Hamas refused . On March 7 , Russia expressed hope that Hamas would consider supporting the Road map for peace and peace plan proposed by Saudi Arabia , but it did not materialize . Israeli spokesman stated : " They ( Hamas ) did not accept any of those principles . . . therefore I don ' t know where they ( Russia ) draw their optimism from Hamas changing its ways . " President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian National Authority said that he would oppose the creation of a Palestinian state with temporary borders and further Israel ' s unilateral withdrawals . The invitation and the talks have caused controversy wherein Russia ' s intentions in changing its views towards the Israeli - Palestinian conflict were questioned in the West . List of international terror groups . Russian list of international terrorism published in the official daily " Rossiyskaya Gazeta " on July 28 , 2006 contained seventeen terror groups . It included al - Qaeda , Taliban , Lashkar - e - Tayyaba and Egypt ' s banned Muslim Brotherhood , as well as groups linked to separatist militants in Chechnya and Islamic radicals in Central Asia but omitted both Hamas and Hezbollah . Yury Sapunov , the top official of Russian Federal Security Service in charge of fighting international terrorism , said that the list " Includes only those organizations which represent the greatest threat to the security of our country . " Contacts with Hezbollah . Russian intelligence agencies have a history of contacts with Lebanese Shia organizations , such as Amal Movement and Hezbollah Russian - made anti - tank weapons played significant role in Hezbollah operations against Israel Defense Forces during 2006 Israel - Lebanon conflict . It was claimed that " Russian Fajr - 1 and Fajr - 3 rockets , Russian AT - 5 Spandrel antitank missiles and Kornet antitank rockets " have been supplied to Hezbollah through Syria and Iran Russian technical , military , and diplomatic aid to Iran . Currently , there are concerns that Israel will attack Iran pre - emptively because the nuclear program of Iran could be used eventually to produce nuclear weapons . Russia provides technical assistance to Iran ' s nuclear program , supplies it with weapons , and gives it diplomatic support at the United Nations . In January 2007 , Israeli officials voiced " extreme concern " over Russia ' s sale of advanced anti - aircraft missiles to Iran . They warned : " We hope they understand that this is a threat that could come back to them as well . " Before Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ' s trip to Russia , Israel ' s Cabinet voted to recognize Russia ' s claim to Sergei ' s Courtyard in central Jerusalem . Russia laid claim to the site , named for the son of a Russian czar , on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church . In an overture before the trip , Israel ' s Cabinet voted to recognize Russia ' s claim to property in Jerusalem . Russia laid claim to the site , named for the son of a Russian czar , on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church . Olmert said he would urge Moscow not to sell sophisticated weapons to Israel ' s enemies . Iran is interested in buying anti - aircraft missiles that could cripple any military strike against its nuclear program . Israel is also afraid Moscow would sell Syria the same missile defense system . Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has frequently called for Israel ' s destruction , and Israel suspects he means to carry out that objective by developing nuclear bombs with the help of a Russian - built nuclear power plant . Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes . Iran says it plans to buy from Russia advanced S - 300 anti - aircraft missiles that could detect aircraft sent to destroy its nuclear facilities . Syria , which backs Hezbollah guerrillas who battled Israel in Lebanon in 2006 , reportedly has asked to buy them , too . Russia has not confirmed the reports . But recently , Russia ' s foreign minister , Sergey Lavrov , said his government was prepared to sell Syria arms with a " defensive character . " Israel claims Russian missiles sold to Syria made their way into the Hezbollah ' s hands in the 2006 war , though it has not accused Russia of directly arming the guerrilla group . After four decades of Cold War animosity , ties between Moscow and Israel improved significantly after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 . Israel is also home to more than 1 million Soviet emigres . But Moscow ' s position on Iran and arms sales to Syria have strained ties , as have Israeli weapons sales to Georgia , which Russia had a brief war with in August 2008 , after Georgia attacked two break - away provinces , and Russia moved to protect its peacekeeper troops in the region under UN mandate . Russian Military and Diplomatic Relations with Israel . Russian President Vladimir Putin met with leads of both Israel and the Palestinian National Authority during a visit to the region in June 2012 . During the visit , one prominent Israeli host was the country ' s foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman , known for his popularity amongst the large community of Russian - Israelis Arab commentators were also quick to point out how this visit , which carried with it indications of closer Russian - Israeli cooperation in energy and military technology , could usher in a break in a perceived , long - standing Arab - Russian alliance .