Putin visit will bolster strong Russia-Israel ties

Significance

They will discuss Russia's growing role in the Middle East, Israeli targeting of Iranian proxies and the implications of the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. The personal relationship has helped them ride out contradictions such as Moscow's simultaneous tactical military alliance with Tehran and tolerance of Israeli air strikes in Syria.

Impacts

• Putin and Netanyahu will want to confirm and fine-tune their de-confliction mechanism for Syria.
• The Russian president arrives in Israel confident that his own political future will last beyond 2024.
• Putin will raise concerns about disruption to a Russian Orthodox Church convent caused by light railway construction in Jerusalem.