Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday met with members of the US Congress, informing them that he has been invited to visit China. The visit will be Netanyahu's fourth visit to China, and the US government was informed of it approximately one month ago. Speaking to the members of Congress, Netanyahu emphasized that the security and intelligence cooperation between Israel and the US is at an all-time high, and emphasized that the US will always be a key and irreplaceable ally for Israel. Related articles: Humanoid robots compete against humans in half marathon US: China-linked firm aiding Houthi attacks on US naval forces US sanctions Iran’s oil sector, targets Chinese refinery President Donald Trump’s trade war with China will save children Amos Yadlin, a former Military Intelligence Directorate chief, on Tuesday morning criticized the planned visit, saying, "Netanyahu intends to visit China next month as a signal to the Biden administration that Israel has strategic alternatives for a powerful supporter; meaning, this is an Israeli attempt to copy Saudi Arabia's policy of 'varying its backers.' This is a process which will harm Israel's interests, not advance them." "If anyone close to the Prime Minister thinks that it is smart to act like [Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed] bin Salman and travel to China in order to annoy [US President Joe] Biden and show him that Israel has another strategic option - he is making a bitter mistake." "Saudi Arabia does not receive billions of dollars in annual military aid from the US, is not dependent on the US veto in the United Nations Security Council, is not helped by US financial guarantees, and does not receive the best American weapons. Israel needs the Biden administration in order to advance its strategic goals: preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia." Yadlin also pointed out that, "China regularly votes against Israel in the UN, and is a regular supporter of Palestinian positions, has a strategic alliance with Iran, and is not a replacement for the security, intelligence, and operational cooperation that Israel has with the US. Israel has committed in the past not to provide China with weapons and advanced technology, and therefore is not expected to receive from it valuable diplomatic compensation." "The Prime Minister has much stronger cards to use in order to bring the relationship with the US back on track," he concluded.
