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Israeli Government Reviewing Israel-China Port Deal
(Jerusalem Post) Michael Wilner - Israel's national security cabinet is reviewing the 2015 decision to allow a Chinese firm to take over Haifa port in 2021 for 25 years in return for a $2 billion commitment to expand the port. The Israeli government launched "a review of the agreement at a high level" due to concerns that U.S. defense officials have privately shared with their Israeli counterparts. "You don't want a decision that was made ostensibly for business reasons to have an impact on Israel's relationship with the American navy," a source said. IDF Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Assaf Orion, an expert on Israel-China relations now based at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said, "The bottom line here is that Israel will make a fatal mistake by doing either or both of the following: disregarding China's potential to advance Israel's economy, and doing it with our eyes shut. We must keep our eyes open, fully aware of the risk management requirements and its possible impact on the U.S.-Israel relationship."