US, Israel discussed Chinese investments in low-profile meeting in December: Report

The United States and Israel held low-profile consultations last month over Chinese investments in Israel, American media reported on Wednesday. While former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to enhance ties with China and solicit Chinese investment in Israel’s infrastructure and technology industries, Axios reported, that on 14 December, the present administrations of the US under President Joe Biden and Israel held wide-range talks on China.

The December talks were reportedly the first such meeting between US and Israel on China and were led by the two countries’ deputy national security advisers. Notably, fearing “backlash” from Beijing, the Israeli side attempted to keep the consultations as low-key as possible. As per the Axios report, the meeting which was held last month included representatives from various government agencies that deal with areas such as economy, foreign policy and national security. 

The American media house quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that both sides presented the general policy lines and even exchanged notes as they conducted their respective policy reviews. However, the report stated that no decisions were reached. It should be mentioned that following the low-key meet, US National security adviser Jake Sullivan had raised some similar issues with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid when the US official visited Israel later.

US stresses need to form united front against China

Sullivan, while visiting Israel a week after the December meeting, focused his discussions mainly on Chinese involvement in infrastructure projects and raised concerns over China’s cyberattacks. Two Israeli officials were quoted by American media as saying that the US National Security Adviser also called on the indeed to form a unified front on China.

Additionally, during a meeting of Isreal’s Security Cabinet on Sunday, foreign ministry officials briefed other lawmakers that the Biden administration was ramping up pressure on Jerusalem along with other nations to ‘pick sides’ between the US and China, Axios reported, citing the two Israeli officials who attended the meeting. 

Israel's dilemma to balance ties with US & China

According to the report, a senior Israeli official said that the Israeli government is presently facing a major dilemma if it should maintain a balancing act in order to preserve trade relations with China or to more actively side with the United States.

A senior Israeli official was quoted by Axios as saying, “We have no dilemma about who is our most important ally and we are more mindful about US concerns and more transparent than we were in the past. But we are not going to avoid doing things with China that the US is not avoiding.”

(Image: AP)