Israel: Netanyahu hails growing strength of Israel-Russia relations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of his hope that relations between Russia and Israel will continue to grow, at a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on Sunday. The prime minister, who also hailed the importance of relations with Washington, was speaking three days before the US presidential election.
Netanyahu insisted that a solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict can only be found through “direct negotiations without preconditions” and without the “with decisions by the UN or other international institutions."
The prime minister maintained that the US remains the “most important” ally Israel has, but also emphasised the need to build closer relations to Russia. Netanyahu was speaking ahead of the visit Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev to Israel.
The Prime Minister’s comments came amid reports US President Obama may push for a diplomatic resolution on the Israel-Palestine dispute at the United Nations.