The secret section: According to reports in foreign sources, the deal to return the young Israeli from Syria, which was obtained through Russian mediation, included a special tribute from Israel, which agreed to purchase from Russia millions of doses of the “Sputnik” vaccine to Corona, which will be transferred to Syria.
Last night, it was announced that the agreement reached between Israel and Russia included additional details that were not allowed to be published, including the full consideration that Israel paid for the young woman. This caused a storm on the Internet, and a lot of criticism from various factors in the country.
According to a post on the Tikkun Olam blog by Richard Silverstein, an Israeli source revealed that Russia, in order to sweeten the deal, offered Israel to pay millions for several million doses of the Russian vaccine “Sputnik” to be delivered to millions of Syrians and Israel agreed. According to the source, “Netanyahu and Gantz, who knew of the possible electoral damage to both of them, ordered military censorship to prevent publicity that Israel agreed to finance the purchase of vaccine doses from Russia for millions of Syrian citizens. The exact total price was not given to the cabinet, but millions of dollars.”
The Syrian news agency Sana denied the report, claiming that there was no “secret clause” in the agreement that was related to vaccines. According to a source quoted in Sanaa, “the dissemination of fabricated information is intended to defame Syria and distort the patriotic and humanitarian side of the process.” He added that “media outlets disseminating such information are trying to polish the image of the Israeli occupation and give it human qualities that it lacks, as evidenced by the crimes it has committed against the Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese people.”
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IDF soldiers on the Syrian border (Photo: Reuters)As you may recall, the young woman landed in Israel on the night between Thursday and Friday after staying in Russia since Wednesday. It turns out that the young woman, 22, from the Jerusalem area who speaks fluent Arabic, has tried three times in the past to cross the border into the Gaza Strip in recent months. Twice she tried by land, of which once in the Nahal Oz area she was captured by the army, and once by sea on a raft-like vessel.
During her interrogation at the time, she said that she had friends in the Gaza Strip, and she wanted to move and live there. She also said that in the past she was a Border Police officer and that she used to walk along the borders, and even threatened: “I wanted to cross and I will cross another time.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken with Russian President Putin twice in recent days, on 8.2.21 and 13.2.21, and asked to assist Israel in restoring Israeli citizenship. President Putin responded positively to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s request to thank him for his assistance. The head of the National Security Council and the political adviser to the Russian president have continued a series of talks in order to complete the details of the civil return.
“A few days ago, a young Israeli woman crossed the border into Syria. I spoke twice with a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. I asked for his help to get it back, and he did act. I would like to thank him for joining us again in returning Israeli citizens to Israel. Israel has always done and will always do everything in its power to bring our citizens back to the land. I would like to thank the President of the State, the head of the National Security Council, the Coordinator of Prisoners and Missing Persons, the IDF, the GSS, the Mossad, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and everyone who helped in this important operation. Thank you, “Netanyahu said.
As part of the deal, IDF forces returned two shepherds to the Red Cross in Syrian territory through the Quneitra crossing. Crossed the border line into Israeli territory.
“The State of Israel wishes to express appreciation for the actions of the President of Russia and as a gesture of goodwill Israel has returned to Syria two shepherds who entered Israel and will shorten the service work (through pardon) of Nihal al-Makat by three months,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.