Yes, Bibi should go to Beijing. In fact, he must

Key Findings:

In this op-ed, the author offers insights into the negative public response following the announcement of Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming visit with China’s President, Xi Jinping. He explains the context in which this meeting is happening, the timeliness of it, and how crucial it is for Israel. 

As of late, China has made major strides in the Middle East. President Xi Jinping has met with numerous countries and ambassadors— including traveling to Saudi Arabia and meeting the 21 leaders of the Arab world, as well as welcoming Mahmoud Abbas, president of Palestine, to Beijing. 

According to an INSS study, there has been an emphasis in the Chinese media about the political demonstrations currently happening in Israel. The author analyzes the possible ways in which China could be viewing Israel at this moment in time, given the unusual surge of media attention regarding Israel’s current internal strife. Since the Chinese media usually strays away from propelling conversations about civil unrest, this is unusual. The author speculates that China might be starting to see Israel in a different light, and perhaps questioning its strength. 

The public’s negative response to the meeting stems from worries that visiting Beijing could be perceived as a betrayal to America. The author refutes this by stating that many other allies to the US have visited China, and were not accused of the same. Due to the current state of affairs, it is crucial for Israel to meet with China.