Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has dispatched a delegation of the National Security Council to Washington, vowing not to harm US interests amid concerns over Tel Aviv’s ties with China.
A strategic China-run terminal in Haifa port was inaugurated earlier this month with little media coverage because Israel wanted to avoid tensions with Washington, said security sources in Tel Aviv.
Senior officials from the National Security Council in Tel Aviv had paid several visits to Washington to clarify the issue.
According to the sources, US President Joe Biden deliberately did not discuss Israeli-Chinese relations during his meeting with Bennett last month.
US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan sternly discussed the matter with the Israeli officials.
The two officials stressed that handing over Haifa port to a Chinese government company is dangerous because the company is managed by an authoritarian regime. It will allow Chinese warships to dock in Israel, which will use Beijing’s growing economic power to influence Israel politically.
China will use this port for espionage and cyber warfare against Israel and US Navy ships that frequently use the Israeli port.
However, Bennett and his envoys asserted to Washington that the Chinese company had pledged to act like any Israeli company operating at the port. Most of its employees are Israelis, aside from the management. They also stressed that the port remained the property of Israel and was subject to its laws.
If the operating company violates these terms, it risks breaching the contract, and the Israeli government will have the right to replace it with another.
Moreover, the Israeli officials noted that the new Haifa port is not located near the naval base frequently used by the US fleet.
They emphasized that they are aware of Washington’s apprehension about the potential security risks, and they have already taken several precautions., vowing that the relevant security authorities will be monitoring situation.
