A stabbing incident occurred at the Israeli Embassy in China, resulting in an employee being injured. Authorities have apprehended a suspect from another country.
Chinese authorities and the Israeli government have reported that a 50-year-old Israeli man, employed at the Israeli Embassy in Beijing, was attacked with a knife on Friday while standing outside a supermarket.
A 53-year-old foreign man has been apprehended by Beijing police as a suspect. The victim, identified as a relative of an Israeli diplomat, was targeted in the attack. No specific reason for the assault has been provided.
The Israeli government released a statement stating that the employee has been transferred to the hospital and is currently in a stable condition. No further information was provided.
The stabbing occurred as Muslims across the world took to the streets in large protests after Friday prayers over Israel’s intense bombing campaign in Gaza, following the unprecedented and deadly incursion by the militant group Hamas into southern Israel last Saturday.
A video shared on social media depicted a man armed with a knife engaging in a physical altercation with another individual, repeatedly inflicting wounds and causing blood to be visible on the pavement.
Witnesses in the vicinity reported hearing the victim’s cries amidst the arrival of police vehicles and an ambulance. Subsequently, a police perimeter was established and the blood was subsequently cleansed.
On Friday, Israel strongly condemned China’s statement regarding the initial Hamas attack. The Foreign Ministry of Israel conveyed their country’s profound disappointment to Zhai Jun, China’s envoy for the Middle East, through Ambassador Rafi Harpaz. The two diplomats engaged in a phone conversation on Thursday.
The Israeli statement expressed disappointment over the lack of a strong condemnation of the brutal massacre carried out by Hamas against innocent civilians and the abduction of many to Gaza. It also highlighted that the Chinese announcements failed to acknowledge Israel’s right to self-defense, which is a fundamental right of any sovereign nation when faced with such unprecedented and inhumane attacks.
When questioned about the Israeli statement, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, expressed China’s opposition to actions that harm civilians and violate international law.
He stated that China will persistently strive for reducing tension and restarting negotiations for peace.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking at a joint news conference with the EU foreign policy chief, said that China’s Mideast envoy would travel to the region soon to work toward a ceasefire and de-escalation.
China has supported the Palestinians in their demand for an independent state. “Israel has the right to establish a state, and so does Palestine,” Wang said, saying the failure to create a Palestinian state is the root cause of the conflict.
In Beijing, there were approximately six undercover police officers present outside the Israeli Embassy, in addition to the usual group of uniformed officers. Similarly, at the Palestinian Embassy located about 2 kilometers away, plainclothes officers were also present, with one of them adjusting wires on a fence.
Ever since the war started, there has been a significant increase in anti-Semitic comments on Chinese social media platforms. In response to the influx of negative messages, the Israeli Embassy in Beijing is actively monitoring and moderating comments on its Chinese social media account.
The embassy chose a comment expressing support for Israel and advocating for the destruction of the terrorist organization. This comment received 5,700 likes.
State media in China have accused the United States of exacerbating tensions in the area.
Yaqiu Wang, research director for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan at Freedom House, stated that the Chinese government consistently promotes a narrative that holds Israel, a significant ally of the United States, responsible. This aligns with the propaganda objective of the ruling Communist Party, which aims to weaken the U.S. in the global community. Wang emphasized that this situation is no different from previous instances.
China has made attempts to establish a connection with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox government in light of escalating tensions with the United States. These tensions arose due to Netanyahu’s proposed reforms to the Israeli judiciary system, which led to several months of protests.
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the area to show support for Israel. President Joe Biden has also condemned the Hamas attack. The United States has provided extra weapons to Israel, dispatched one aircraft carrier group, and intends to send another to prevent further escalation in the region. These actions are in response to Israel’s potential preparations for a ground offensive in Gaza.
The U.S. ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, tweeted on X that “we are shocked by today’s attack on an Israeli diplomat in Beijing” and said the embassy had offered its full support to the Israeli Embassy and the Israeli community in China.
Earlier this week, Chuck Schumer, the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate, expressed his discontent during a meeting with Chinese leaders in Beijing regarding the initial statement made by China concerning the lethal Hamas incursion.
Schumer expressed satisfaction after a spokesperson from the Foreign Ministry of China stated that they were deeply saddened by the civilian casualties and strongly disapprove of actions that cause harm to civilians.
