Advertisement
Israel flirts with China to establish Saudi Arabia ties, but can ‘new kid on the block’ Beijing broker deal?
- Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu may seek help to normalise relations, but lack of leverage could stymie Chinese mediation efforts, analysts say
- With Washington’s negotiation efforts stalled, Beijing sees chance to ‘send a huge signal’ by bringing US allies together, observer says
Reading Time:6 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
49
Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu may look to Beijing to help his country normalise relations with Saudi Arabia amid tensions with the United States, but challenges lie ahead for Beijing’s role as a mediator because of its lack of leverage over the parties, analysts said.
Advertisement
Netanyahu announced at the end of June that he had been invited to China. The news came just weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping repeated Beijing’s offer to mediate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict while hosting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Originally planned for July, the trip is now likely to take place later this year – potentially in October, according to Israeli media. Chinese ambassador to Israel Cai Run told Netanyahu in a July 26 meeting that Xi looked forward to his visit, offering Beijing’s first confirmation of the trip.
Netanyahu’s decision to travel to China was widely interpreted as a message to the US. The Israeli prime minister has not met US President Joe Biden since winning a November election amid tensions over Israel’s settlements in the West Bank and controversial judicial reforms. Meanwhile, the US push to normalise ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia has yet to show clear progress.
After his China trip was announced, Netanyahu received a delayed White House invitation to visit the US by the end of the year.
Advertisement