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Netanyahu stresses that the US would always be Israel’s ‘most vital’ and ‘irreplaceable’ ally.
By Ben Rappaport, United with Israel
While meeting with members of a bipartisan congressional delegation in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu notified them he had been invited to visit China.
According to the prime minister’s office, the Biden administration was updated about the visit, which would be Netanyahu’s fourth official visit to China, one month ago.
Netanyahu stressed to the delegation that security and intelligence cooperation between the US and Israel were at an “all-time peak,” and emphasized that the US would always be Israel’s “most vital” and “irreplaceable” ally, the prime minister’s office added.
The visit is reportedly to take place next month, Zman Israel reported Monday.
A political official commented to Zman Israel regarding the visit that “Netanyahu will not stand around and wait for an invitation to the White House that does not arrive.” Netanyahu has not received the customary White House invitation since taking office in his latest term as prime minister, and Biden has made clear such an invitation won’t be extended “in the near term.”
“He is working in parallel channels,” the official added.”China is very involved lately in the Middle East story, and the prime minister needs to be there and represent the Israeli interest.”
China served as mediator for the Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement announced in March. Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas in Beijing, where he presented Abbas with a new Chinese plan for Israel-Palestinian peace.
According to Zman Israel, Netanyahu is expected to try to advance relations with Saudi Arabia through Chinese influence, which could cause “dissatisfaction” in Washington.
The report added, however, that a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the White House in another three weeks would likely work to smooth things over somewhat between Jerusalem and Washington.
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