In the last few confrontations between Israel and the Palestinians, China continued to display unqualified support for the Palestinian side. For example, after Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Temple Mount in early January 2023, China joined the United Arab Emirates in demanding that an urgent discussion be held at the UN Security Council, at which China's ambassador stated, "Israel, in particular, should stop all acts of incitement and provocations." Similar statements were made by China's new Minister of...
Current Situation – Great power competition · Struggle over world order · Technology core issue · Potential escalation (Ukraine, Taiwan) · Less collaboration · Middle East lower priority | Current Israeli Strategy – “Between the raindrops” maneuver · Rely on the US while advancing relations with other powers | Recommended Strategy – Alternative 2: Strengthen the US strategic mainstay · Stand by the US as a member of the Western camp · Pursue differential foreign policy, adjusted to era of great power competition
The CHIPS and Science Act signed by President Biden in August 2022 changes the dynamics and norms of global technology commerce. The US has imposed unprecedented restrictions on the export of advanced chips to China, making it difficult for China to obtain essential equipment for artificial intelligence technologies that it could possibly use to undermine global stability. The US is currently recruiting its allies to join the struggle and setting up a “chips alliance.” How should Israel respond to a move that is perceived as the Cold...
In December 2022 Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia and held a series of summit meetings with leaders of Arab states in general and the Gulf states in particular. Before, during, and after the visit, various headlines trumpeted a “new era” of Chinese relations with the Middle East, while speculating in this context as to China’s Iran policy. Yet while there were some developments in these relations, in many respects, little is new – although sometimes, continuity itself can point to what is new. What are the new...
As the 37th Israeli government begins its term of office, it faces a host of national security challenges, from the Temple Mount, to the Palestinian theater, the security challenges in the north, and the complex threat from Iran, most of which have a significant international dimension. Against the background of the strategic competition between the great powers, the war in Ukraine, and the struggle for technological-economic dominance, the new government must navigate prudently between the United States, Israel’s great strategic...
The visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia, which included three summit meetings, moved relations between China and the Arab world at least one step forward. Alongside signed agreements and partnerships agreed on by both sides, the visit had a substantial symbolic side aimed at projecting independence, consolidating Saudi Arabia’s leading status among Arab states, and enabling Mohammed bin Salman to demonstrate his leadership to his people prior to his accession to the throne. The Gulf states may seem to overstate the...
Recent weeks have seen numerous reports about protests in China against the strict “zero-COVID” policy and in some cases, even against the regime itself. In tandem, speculations arise regarding the nature of the protests, accompanied, perhaps, by a touch of the various authors’ wishful thinking. It is therefore important to clarify: the protests do not constitute a clear and present danger to the government, and for the most part are not calling for its overthrow. The frequent comparisons to the events of Tianenman Square in 1989 are...
“if China has any interest in the Middle East besides economic growth and influence, it’s that”, says Galia Lavi, China researcher at the Tel Aviv Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). “China doesn’t care about individuals, maybe about a very few but not me and you. But China is the leading forces in AI, and they are not dealing with dilemmas that the West is still concerned with, lie privacy.”
Energy consumption on earth is expected to rise in the coming decades, due to the increase in the world population and the economic and industrial growth of developing countries. One of the most effective and green alternatives for creating energy is nuclear fusion. The ITER, the international project to study nuclear fusion, is one of the ambitious ventures to construct a research reactor, and there are other projects that in recent years have achieved international breakthroughs in a field that is expected to become critical to the...
For Israel, warming relations with China has, in large part, been driven by pragmatic and enticing economic prospects, with policies focused on seizing the economic opportunity. For Xi and the Chinese Communist Party, the rationale for strengthening relations with Israel has been equally pragmatic, if of a different nature. China has long sought access to Israel’s vaunted innovation and technology sector – one of the most advanced in the world. For these reasons, China-Israel relations have accelerated dramatically, in areas ranging...
