Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA 7 October 2008:

Israel Television Channel Two correspondent Udi Segal reported on the
evening news program that PM Olmert failed to make any serious progress in
getting the Russians to call off their plans to sell strategic "balance
breaking" military systems to Iran and Syria and instead left with only an
understanding to discuss the sales in the future.

Segal noted that this happened even though Olmert gave the Russians real
estate in Jerusalem as a gift. According to Segal, when Olmert began
mentioning Iran during a segment open to the press, the Russians cut his
microphone.

Segal closed his report by noting that it would appear that during this
period of economic downturn, the Russians will not be willing to forego the
considerable income the sale of these systems will generate.

=====

High level strategic dialogue to discuss Russian arms sales
Oct. 7, 2008

Herb Keinon , THE JERUSALEM POST
www.jpost.com
/servlet/Satellite?cid=1222017490815&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Israel and Russia will upgrade their strategic dialogue and use that forum
to share intelligence assessments and discuss Russian arms sales to the
region, a senior source in the Prime Minister's Office said Tuesday,
following Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's meeting in the Kremlin with Russian
President Dimitri Medvedev.

The source said that Olmert raised the issue of arms sales, including the
proposed sale of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria and Iran, with the
Russian president, and that the Israeli team left the meeting feeling that
"they now understand our concerns more clearly."

The source would not say, however, whether Moscow gave a commitment not to
sell the weapons system, which could severely curtail the IAF's freedom in
the skies.

The source characterized the discussions with Medvedev, as well as talks the
night before with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as "open and
frank." This was Olmert's first meeting with Medvedev, elected earlier this
year.

In addition to the arms issue, the source said Olmert "urged the Russians to
play a more active role in getting Teheran to cease uranium enrichment."
Olmert, the source said, reminded the Russians that they have the
"influence, leverage and power" to do so, and asked the Kremlin to use its
"assets more effectively in dealing with the area of nuclear proliferation."

The Russians, the source said, clarified that Moscow would "do nothing to
harm Israel's national security."

We must remember, the source said, that the "days when Russia was a hostile
country to Israel are no longer, and it is important to cultivate the
relationship."

Following his meeting with Medvedev, Olmert told reporters regarding the
Iranian issue that Medvedev made it clear that he was opposed to a nuclear
Iran and was very critical of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's
rhetoric against Israel.

Following the talks, the Kremlin put out a cursory statement saying Medvedev
had emphasized that "economic cooperation between the two countries is based
on the firm basis," and expressed hope for its successful development in the
future. The two men did not hold a joint press conference.

Perhaps underscoring the lack of importance Moscow possibly ascribed to the
trip by the lame duck Israeli prime minister, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
was not in Moscow and did not meet Olmert. The two did, however, talk by
phone.

Sources in Olmert's office said that both Medvedev and Lavrov thanked Israel
for approving the transfer of ownership of Sergei's Courtyard in Jerusalem's
Russian government to the Russian government. One source quoted Lavrov as
saying that this was an issue of great "symbolic importance" for Russia, and
expressed his appreciation to Olmert for solving the issue.

AP contributed to this report