2017-Feb-16 China

The Israeli cabinet approved (4/23) a major 1/2017 deal with China to provide 6,000 laborers to fill an unmet demand for construction workers in Israel. While the agreement was largely irrelevant to Palestinian affairs or the wider Arab-Israeli conflict, one provision stipulated that no Chinese worker was to be employed in Israel’s West Bank or East Jerusalem settlements. The Chinese govt.’s official reason for requesting the provision was worker safety, but several Israeli officials acknowledged (4/23) that it stemmed from political concerns. Furthermore, when the outline of the deal was announced in 1/2017, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson responded (1/5) to a question about potential political implications by saying, “China’s position on the Palestine-Israel issue is consistent, clear, and unchanged. We oppose building Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem and [the] West Bank.”