Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked a serious diplomatic crisis by publicly accusing China, along with Qatar, of leading a media and legitimacy siege against Israel, Ynet reports. These statements prompted an unusually strong response from Beijing, which called them "baseless" and urged the Israeli government to act with "political wisdom."
"Just as Iran once imposed a siege on us in the hopes of destroying us, and we broke it, today there is an attempt to impose a new siege on Israel, led by Qatar and also by countries like China," he said in remarks to US lawmakers on Monday, claiming that the campaign is "funded with enormous sums of money" and powered by artificial intelligence.
He also warned at a government conference in Jerusalem that Israel must transform itself into a "super-Sparta" to overcome the diplomatic isolation it is entering. According to Ynet, the crisis reflects Israel's growing concern over the Sino-Iranian rapprochement, which would include assistance in rebuilding Tehran's ballistic missile program and the supply of air defense systems.
China responds with unusual harshness
After two days of silence, the Chinese Embassy in Israel issued a forceful response, expressing its "shock" at the Israeli leader's remarks. "This statement is groundless, damages bilateral relations, and we firmly oppose it," the statement said.
"Blaming Beijing after criticizing certain social media platforms is like a patient desperately seeking out all the doctors, pointing to the wrong source and taking the wrong prescription," it adds. The text also criticizes Israeli military actions in Gaza and calls for a ceasefire and "political wisdom" and "creative diplomacy" instead of "endless bombing."
"The international community demands an immediate ceasefire to ensure the safe return of the Israeli hostages and prevent an even greater humanitarian catastrophe. Only shared security, and not security at the expense of others, can bring lasting peace," he emphasized.
China's response comes just days after Beijing strongly called for an end to the punishment of the people of Gaza, as well as for the opening of humanitarian channels and the ordering of a ceasefire.
