China-Israel Relations Were Declining Long Before The ‘Hamas-Gaza War’

China’s firm backing of Palestinians amid Israel’s war on Gaza has damaged Beijing’s bilateral relations with Tel Aviv while boosting its standing in the Arab world. Wider geopolitical shifts are behind a decline in trade and investment, and Tel Aviv’s ties with Beijing will always come second to Washington. China has voiced Palestinians’ “inalienable right” to an independent state while also calling Israel’s war on Gaza “collective punishment” of Palestinians—not self-defense. And while China’s position certainly hurt its relationship with Israel, economic relations between the two countries were already on the decline since 2018. This makes Beijing’s position on Gaza…