Global balancing acts

Chaim Azriel Weizmann, the first president of Israel, and other founding members of
the Zionist state could go to any extent to serve the interest of their community –
hobnobbing with Germans, holding secret meetings with the Turks and then finally
banking on the British Empire for the establishment of the Zionist state. Once they
realized that the Sun of the British Empire would soon set, they started cultivating
close ties with the rising power – the US.

Although Israel was primarily created to serve the British interests, through its sheer
dedication it proved to be more useful for Washington that had replaced London as
the global player after the Second World War. While their ties with America remained
very cordial, they also ensured good relations with other Western countries and to the
utter surprise of many with the Soviet Union as well that was supporting the Arab
states and the Palestinians. The US and the USSR were sworn enemies but the most
trusted friend of Washington never infuriated Moscow, dealing with the red power in
a very diplomatic way.

Israelis seem to be adroit at sensing changes in the global power equation. They
realize that the US may have been militarily a global power with immense economic
potential but there are other centers of power emerging on the global political horizon
and that Tel Aviv must maintain good ties with them as well. It is perhaps this logic
that has prompted them to hobnob with Beijing, ignoring US warnings in a diplomatic
way and allaying its fears in a very gentle manner. Tel Aviv and Washington have had
common strategic goals for decades but now the Zionist state seems to have a
different approach over the issue of the Chinese ascendancy on the global stage.

It is really interesting to note that Washington considers the rise of Beijing as a great
threat to its global hegemony but Israel finds it difficult to keep itself away from the
rising power’s bounties that it is showering on other states. A strong economic power,
China is also trying to match the military might of America by raising its defence
expenditure. This has created consternation in the power corridors of Washington but
in Tel Aviv business is as usual. It seems that Israel is determined to benefit from
Chinese technology and its expertise on infrastructure development.

The Shanghai International Port Group is building a new container port in Haifa,
which some US officials believe could be used to conduct surveillance on the US 6th
Fleet whenever it ports at a nearby naval base. Chinese companies are building
another Israeli port in Ashdod and a light rail project through the greater Tel Aviv
area, which will run a few hundred yards from the Israeli military headquarters.
Meanwhile, Chinese companies invested some $400 million in Israeli start-ups in
2018 and $243 million in 2019.

Washington seems to be furious over these intentions of its close ally. This May,
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Israeli against getting too close to China.
“We don’t want the Chinese Communist Party to have access to Israeli infrastructure,
Israeli communication networks". He believes such things could endanger the Israeli
people and the ability of the US to cooperate with Israel. But Israel does not seem to
be buying Pompeo’s arguments. Its policymakers believe that their national interests
are served well by cooperating with a rising power. Michael Oren, a former Israeli
ambassador to Washington, asserts that Tel Aviv stands to gain with such cooperation
saying, “Israel sees China as an opportunity.”

Israeli threat perception seems to be entirely different from the one held by
Washington. For the Zionist state, it is Tehran and the rising Shia power across the
Middle East that pose a national security threat. It is because of this reason that the
radical elements want stern action against Iran which is believed to have been
bankrolling Bashar Al Asad, pampering Hezbollah and arming the Houthi rebels. Tel
Aviv seems to be on a mission to destabilize Iran. A string of bomb explosions and
mysterious sabotage activities inside Iran seem to have a hallmark of Israeli
intelligence. It is interesting to note that Tel Aviv is not interested in casting doubts on
Beijing. It seems that Tel Aviv is working on a strategy to counter Iran in the region
and does not believe that extra regional powers could harm its security. Shira Efron, a
fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, thinks
China has never been in Israeli threat assessments like Iran is because the communist
country is not in the neighbourhood.

Israeli has always been hungry for technology which many believe is crucial for its
existence, surrounded by hostile Arab neighbours. It was the technological
advancement of the Zionist state that handed it a stunning victory during the 1967
war. Its policymakers seem to have a dogged determination to maintain this
technological superiority and they would not mind acquiring it from Moscow, Beijing
or Washington.

But with the rising tension between the US and China, it seems that Israel will have to
pick a side. Tel Aviv has received billions of dollars over the decades from America.
The US has been its biggest ally. The Jewish diaspora in America is one of the biggest
sources of Israel's prosperity. Western countries in general also backed Israel because
of its proximity with Washington. So, this will be a litmus test when it finally comes
to picking a side.

And it seems that this time is not very far. From the Covid-19 pandemic to Hong
Kong, Washington does not miss any China-bashing opportunity. It is likely to throw
support behind any country that creates problems for the communist state. The recent
hard-hitting statements of American officials during the standoff between India and
China clearly indicates the intensity of grudge that the US harbours against Beijing.
Though Israel expressed reluctance in awarding some commercial contracts to China
in a bid to appease Washington, it still would want to strike a balance between its
relationship with the sole superpower and the rising global economic force. But will
the US, which has bankrolled the Zionist state since its inception – turning a blind eye
to its illegal activities and earning the ire of its allies – tolerate such an ambivalent
position? Such a situation will definitely put Israeli policymakers in a bind