Notable absences from greeting list include Erdogan, Khamenei.
By HERB KEINONUpdated: JANUARY 1, 2016 03:16Netanyahu and Putin(photo credit: IVAN SEKRETAREV / POOL / AFP)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of 32 international leaders who was singled out to receive a holiday greeting this week from Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with the leaders of the United States, China, Japan, India, Brazil, Germany, Kazakhstan, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and others.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not make the list of those receiving Christmas and New Year’s greetings. In addition, neither the leader of Iran, nor any Arab country, was on the list put out by the Kremlin on Wednesday.According to the Kremlin, “In his message of greetings to Prime Minister of the State of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin noted with satisfaction that Russian-Israeli relations have retained their positive dynamics, expressing his resolve to make every effort in the coming year to enhance the entire range of bilateral ties for the benefit of the people of Russia and Israel and in the interests of ensuring stability and security in the Middle East.”Netanyahu last spoke to Putin, whom he speaks with on the phone regularly, on December 22, when – according to the Prime Minister’s Office – they agreed to continue their dialogue regarding the situation in Syria. The two countries have been in close coordination since Russia began its military engagement in Syria in September.