“Russia is not an enemy,” said Israel’s Air Defense Commander

Brig. Gen. Tzvika Haimovich, commander of Israel’s Air Defense Forces, told reporters Thursday that Russian aircraft had violated Israeli air space at least twice in the past half year. But, he added, “The Russians are not an enemy” and the Israeli Air Force “has no intention to create needless friction” with Russian air power plying the skies of neighboring Syria.
Haimovich spoke alongside US Lt. Gen. Timothy Ray, 3rd Air Force commander and the man charged with commanding a US-Israel Joint Task Force for air and missile defense, in a press briefing on the ongoing Juniper Cobra US-Israeli missile defense drill.
DEBKAfile: There were many more Russian air intrusions of Israeli skies over the Golan and the Sea of Galilee than disclosed by the Gen. Haimovich.