Cover Photo Credit:

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on July 9, 2023.

Gil Cohen-Magen / Pool via Reuters.

News of Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming trip to China triggered a chorus of objections and reproach within the Israeli establishment and beyond. Nevertheless, the Israeli prime minister will travel to China. After all, geopolitical and geo-economic forces compel him to go.

Granted, the timing of the announcement (or, rather, leak) could most certainly have been better: The revelation came on the heels of elevated tensions with the U.S. and appeared as if Netanyahu was using the China card to manipulate Washington. This assessment was reinforced when a “diplomatic source” told the media that “Netanyahu is not going to stand and wait for an invitation that is not forthcoming to visit the White House” and that “he is also working in parallel channels.”

Read the full China Project article here