Israel ‘unhappy’ with official response to attack by Iran
Israel has said it is disappointed with China’s response to Iran’s missile and drone attack on Saturday.
“We were hoping for stronger condemnation and clear acknowledgement of Israel’s right to defend itself,” Yuval Waks, the deputy chief of the Israeli mission in China, said yesterday when asked what response the embassy had hoped for.
“Unfortunately, we did not see that, which is why we were unhappy with the statement [from the foreign ministry].”
On Sunday, the ministry expressed “deep concern” about the risk of the conflict escalating and called for the immediate implementation of a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The statement, which Israel said was “not as strong as expected”, also urged unnamed “influential countries” to play a constructive role.
Saturday’s attack, which follows the recent deadly Israeli air strike on Iran’s embassy compound in Syria, was Tehran’s first direct assault on Israeli territory and has heightened concerns about a wider regional conflict.
The United States and its allies have condemned the attack, with US President Joe Biden pledging “ironclad” support for Israel.
Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry yesterday said its special envoy for Middle East affairs, Zhai Jun, had met Irit Ben-Abba, the Israeli ambassador.
The statement said Zhai called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza but did not comment on Israel’s concerns.
Waks said the embassy had contacted Chinese officials in Beijing and conveyed Israel’s concerns following the attacks on Saturday.
He said “we are aware of the good bilateral relations between China and Iran, but we feel the need to express our grave concerns to the Chinese regarding Iran’s negative role in our region and its support of terror groups”.
He urged China to tell Hamas the hostages still being held after the October 7 attack “should be set free right now”.
The Israeli embassy also said: “The destabilisation of the Middle East didn’t start on Saturday, but rather Iran showed its true face.”
On Sunday, the Chinese embassy in Iran reminded its citizens to “strengthen safety precautions” because of “more serious and complex” situations in the country.
Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked China and other countries to use their influence to dissuade Iran from striking Israel.
On Friday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi asked Blinken to play a “constructive role” in the region.