RUSSIA DROVE SYRIA/ISRAEL TENSIONS TO SELL WEAPONS

Level of Tension with Syria Drops - Ron Ben-Yishai
According to a new intelligence understanding formulated in both Damascus and Jerusalem, both sides have apparently come to the conclusion that the other side is not looking to launch a surprise attack this summer. Suspicions remain, but the alert level has been dropped a notch or two. Tehran had invested heavily in attempting to persuade Syria's Bashar Assad that Israel was planning a military strike against the Syrian regime and Hizbullah. (Ynet News)

See also Russia Cause of Tension between Israel and Syria
Russia was partly responsible for the heightened tension between Israel and Syria at the beginning of the summer, Gen. Amos Gilad (ret.), head of the Diplomatic-Security Bureau at the Defense Ministry, told Army Radio on Thursday. "At a certain time, the Russians caused the Syrians to believe that Israel was preparing for war," Gilad said. "I think that they have stopped this. Syria is not planning on attacking Israel, and Israel is definitely not planning on attacking Syria." According to a report in Ma'ariv, Kremlin officials purposely mislead the Syrians in order to further maximize their profits from the sale of military equipment. (Jerusalem Post)