"Russia is a global power and our relations are getting closer," Netanyahu said Sunday, according to Russian press service RIA Novosti.
"I worked on this rapprochement and today it is serving us, our national security, preventing unneeded and dangerous clashes at our northern border," the Israeli prime minister added.
According to the Kremlin website, Netanyahu will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to discuss bilateral trade and cultural ties, alongside big ticket items like international terrorism, Israeli-Palestinian relations, and the ongoing Syrian civil war.
"The Russia-Israel security relationship has been quietly developing for some time now," Daragh McDowell, principal analyst for Europe and Central Asia with Verisk Maplecroft, told CNBC by email.
Israel hopes it can use Russia to influence the behavior of some of its less friendly regional foes, including neighboring Syria and Iran, McDowell said. For Russia's part, the country is interested in gaining and maintaining a stronger foothold in the Middle East while puncturing the regional sway of the U.S.