Middle East Press On: Israel, US West Coast, Iran, Trump, Syria’s Kurds, Gaza, and Middle East Policy: New Age Islam's Selection, 24 March 2025
By New Age Islam Edit Desk
24 Mar. 25
· Building a circular economy: What Israel can learn from the US West Coast
· Iran under threat: Is Trump preparing for decisive action?
· Is Israel likely to deteriorate into civil war?
· How can there be a brighter future for Syria’s Kurds?
· Brick by brick, Palestine’s future is being stolen
· Gaza war compels China to review its Middle East policy
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Building A Circular Economy: What Israel Can Learn From The Us West Coast
By Anat E. Bujanover
March 24, 2025
Natural systems are wonders of efficiency, relying on elegant cycles to maintain balance and sustain life. In the inherent circularity of nature, every element serves a purpose and is continuously reused. Inspired by these principles, the circular economy model aims to minimize waste and the use of raw materials through recycling and regenerative processes.
Nonetheless, since the Industrial Revolution, we have predominantly followed linear models of economic growth, “take-make-dispose,” which have become increasingly unsustainable and have led to resource depletion, environmental degradation, and excessive waste. However, the transition from a linear to a circular economy is no longer a far-off dream.
Recent legislative developments, industry-led innovations, and public-private partnerships are laying the groundwork for the widespread implementation of closed-loop systems in the western United States.
Several legislative efforts are emerging to hold companies accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products while penalizing harmful practices.
These advancements offer a compelling blueprint for accelerating Israel’s National Circular Economy Plan.
Several legislative efforts are emerging to hold companies accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products while penalizing harmful practices.
These advancements offer a compelling blueprint for accelerating Israel’s National Circular Economy Plan.
Together, these regulatory advancements signal an early call for action and are led by strong grassroots support.
Industries embrace innovations in circularity
Various industries are embracing thoughtful innovations in circularity, inspired by evolving consumer sentiment and ambitious sustainability goals. This shift is further driven by the growing scarcity of raw materials, urging businesses to adopt alternative practices.
For example, sand, gravel, and crushed stone are among the most mined materials globally and are foundational to the infrastructure industry, which generates waste through demolition and material production. Several start-ups are tackling these challenges with creative solutions.
The San Diego-based ECOR converts agricultural and urban waste into bio-based building materials, while Idaho’s Hempitecture manufactures eco-friendly, hemp-based insulation.
Lastly, geopolymer concrete and carbon-sequestering cement from companies like Fortera are reducing the environmental footprint of construction projects.
Although the adoption within the infrastructure industry is still in its infancy, these developments signal promising trends.
Similarly, the textile industry has traditionally been shaped by the fast-fashion model, which promotes extensive waste. This is compounded by the use of mixed-fiber garments that are difficult to recycle.
In response, LA-based Ambercycle is using molecular regeneration technology to transform mixed-material fabrics into polyester fibers. Additionally, Seattle’s Evrnu is developing polymer regeneration technologies to convert cotton-rich textile waste into multi-lifecycle fibers.
Interestingly, biofabricated materials, such as algae-based fibers, are emerging as sustainable replacements to traditional fabrics. Emeryville-based MycoWorks, for instance, has developed leather-like materials from mycelium. These solutions are especially fundamental in an industry struggling with short product lifespans.
Advancements in circular economy
Public-private initiatives are key in advancing the circular economy. One such recent effort, Beam Circular, is working to build a cluster of innovation in bio-circularity by fostering a regional ecosystem in the San Joaquin Valley, one of the most important agricultural regions in the US. Bio-circularity aims to mitigate biomass waste as well as create new avenues for growth.
LA’s Circular Systems, for example, is turning agricultural waste like flax straw and sugarcane bark into natural yarn, while East Bay’s Kawa Project and UpCycled Food Lab are upcycling industrial brewers’ byproducts, such as spent coffee grounds and grain, into valuable ingredients like cocoa powder alternatives. Overcoming scaling hurdles is essential for successful implementation.
In advancing Israel’s National Circular Economy Plan, a close examination of existing regulations, implementation challenges and their efficacy, can help the Jewish state align policies to maximize desired impact.
With a robust regulatory framework, the Israeli government can help bridge funding gaps to support market adaption and scale. Public-private collaborations can similarly seed a thriving ecosystem for circular-driven technologies.
Perhaps of greater value is the fertile ground created for Israeli companies to engage with US entities. The BIRD Foundation is already enabling this momentum by funding projects in this domain.
This includes a recently approved collaboration between Plasticback (Israel) and Freepoint Eco-Systems (US), which focuses on the chemical recycling of PVC waste, one of the most pressing plastic waste issues. Similarly, TripleW (Israel) and Corumat (US) are developing bioplastic packaging from mixed food waste.
In leveraging cutting-edge material sciences, this partnership has the potential to reduce environmental impact while creating new market opportunities. As the West Coast continues to lead these efforts, binational partnerships become increasingly valuable.
By combining cross-border expertise, research capabilities, and new technologies, companies can advance a bottom-up approach, address complex environmental challenges, and scale novel solutions across industries.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-847240
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Iran Under Threat: Is Trump Preparing For Decisive Action?
By Erfan Fard
March 24, 2025
There is a point of optimism as US President Donald Trump embarks on his second term in office: His administration has clearly distinguished between the Islamic Republic regime and the Iranian people.
Gradually, the world has begun to recognize that the brutal, occupying regime of corrupt, bloodthirsty, and anti-civilization clerics is fundamentally distinct from the noble, intelligent, and dignified people of Iran.
American media have started to realize the absurdity and offensive nature of referring to Iran’s delusional dictator, Ali Khamenei, with the title “ayatollah” – which ironically means “sign from God.” This grotesque title, created by the regime’s propaganda machine and uncritically adopted by global media, only serves to insult the intelligence of humanity.
Slowly, European outlets are coming to understand that the mullahs’ accursed doctrine offers nothing but terrorism, treachery, and murder. From this damned ideology of Khomeinism, no democracy, human rights, or progress shall ever emerge. Wherever their feet have trodden, they have left behind only destruction, despair, poverty, bloodshed, and grief.
After 46 years, the alarm bell has finally rung – and this is cause for hope. Simultaneously, the contents of President Trump’s letter to the Tehran tyrant have begun to leak in the media. But even before that, it was apparent: The spectre of war looms over Iran, a nation that has been plunged into ruin and desolation under four decades of theocratic tyranny.
The vile and detested institution of Shi’ite clerical rule has turned a country with 5,500 years of civilization and history into a wasteland. A stubborn, arrogant, and deluded mullah – who has ruled for 36 years following the death of the ruthless Khomeini – has taken 86 million Iranians hostage and blocked every avenue for progress, reform, or hope.
This cowardly and malevolent cleric or Shi’ite mullah, a true believer in Islamic terrorism, has darkened the lives of the Iranian people. He dismisses peace and coexistence as humiliation, yet his very existence is a mark of disgrace and misery for the nation.
Oblivious to the costs of war, he has poured all of Iran’s wealth into the fires of terrorism. Every dollar transferred to him by the Democratic administrations in Washington has only fuelled further conflict in the Middle East. Khamenei has not spent a single cent for the benefit of the Iranian people – because he is their sworn enemy.
In his twisted logic, if he cannot rule Iran, then he would prefer it burned to ashes and rendered uninhabitable. Such is the mind of a criminal mullah – a parasitic worm feeding off the body of the homeland.
Today, commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, and the Quds Force find themselves paralyzed, indecisive, and terrified, resorting to hollow threats and juvenile bluster aimed at Israel and the United States. They blindly follow the delusions of Khamenei, the so-called “supreme leader” of global Islamic terrorists, as he marches them toward annihilation.
The beginning of the Iranian tragedy
The Iranian tragedy began with the terrorist revolt of 1979. Following the exile of the late patriotic, compassionate Shah of Iran, a monstrous dictatorship seized power. Since then, neither peace nor stability has returned to the Middle East, and the world has reaped only sorrow from this temple of ignorance and barbarism.
Even in the White House, no one was ever serious about regime change in Tehran. There was neither the will nor even the thought of it. To this day, they are ready to talk about everything in the solar system and the Milky Way – except the idea of dismantling the Islamic Republic or regime change in Iran. But at last, this necessity has become undeniable. Perhaps this time, Trump is resolved to rid the world of this malignant tumour.
A second US aircraft carrier has been deployed to the Middle East. The potential for a US military strike against the Islamic Republic’s infrastructure is profound. Although no one desires war, America’s long-overdue mission to end terrorism must now be completed. So long as this regime survives, Islamic terrorism will continue to claim lives across the globe.
The prospect of an imminent US military operation targeting Ali Khamenei personally is serious and growing. Yet Khamenei, enamored with his own voice and obsessed with self-importance, continues to spew nonsense from behind his podium – rhetoric no different from the final ravings of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi.
The Iranian people do not take him seriously. Thousands of videos circulate online daily, praying for his dreadful demise. His threats of retaliation are empty. His only recourse lies in activating dormant terrorist cells within the US and Europe.
Tehran’s dictator refuses to accept Trump’s conditions in the letter. Why? Because he is a deceitful, criminal Shi’ite cleric whose very identity depends on nuclear weapons development, arms exports to Islamic terror mafias, regional arson, and hatred toward Israel and the United States. Should he concede, everything would unravel. But he will cling to his delusions until the very end.
The impending assault by the US, Israel, and their military and intelligence allies – including the CIA, Mossad, US Army, IDF, and the Pentagon – will be comprehensive and multilayered.
Dismantling Khamenei's regime
The key objective must be to dismantle the regime’s ideological war machine through the elimination of Khamenei and his criminal thugs in the IRGC and Quds Force. For if he alone were to die, another lunatic would rise to take his place, issuing orders and wagging a threatening finger.
Merely targeting nuclear facilities, missile depots, drone arsenals, and terrorist training camps is insufficient. What is needed is explicit support for regime change and democracy in Iran and public endorsement of the Iranian people’s national uprising against the mullahs’ destructive theocracy.
Just as Nazi symbols were outlawed in Germany after Hitler’s fall, so too must the grotesque garb and theatrical visage of the mullahs vanish from public life in post-regime Iran. What a glorious moment it will be when the regime founded by Khomeini in a Tehran graveyard is, at last, consigned to the graveyard of history. Iran shall be free, its 86 million citizens restored to normal life, and the world shall breathe a deep sigh of relief.
What a beautiful image it is – when the embassies of Israel and the United States once again raise their flags in free Tehran.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-847223
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Is Israel Likely To Deteriorate Into Civil War?
By Susan Hattis Rolef
March 24, 2025
On Friday evening, N12 broadcast the second installment of its new program Special Interview, based on the French format Les Rencontres du Papotin. The local program features a group of young women and men on the autistic spectrum who interview a famous public figure. The moderator is TV personality Rotem Sela, who also works with the interviewers on their questions and presentations.
The interviewers tend to ask blunt and frank questions that no ordinary interviewer would dare ask. Not every potential interviewee is willing to subject him/herself to such a format. In France, President Emmanuel Macron agreed to be interviewed. I doubt whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a control freak, would be willing to do the same.
The interviewee last Friday was singer Shlomo Arzi. He was clearly willing to contend with all the questions, including personal questions such as what mistakes he had made with his children. It all was a very pleasant interlude from the mad rush of current events.
Heightened tensions amid return to war
However, in the middle of the 40-minute program, the broadcast stopped abruptly because a ballistic missile from Yemen was intercepted by the Israel Air Force.
These are certainly not easy times, and tensions inside Israel have reached new peaks. The official resumption of fighting by Israel, before any agreement has been reached about the release of the remaining hostages, is one major cause.
The Israeli government blames Hamas for being willing to release only the handful of hostages who hold American citizenship. But, in fact, it was Israel that announced it was unwilling to proceed to the second stage of the agreement, signed on January 17, 2025, which would involve the release of additional Palestinian prisoners, an end to the war, and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in return for all our hostages.
The families of the hostages and the opposition argue that this constitutes a death sentence to the remaining live hostages.
Another problem regarding the resumption of fighting is that the opposition believes (and with cause) that pacifying Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich, and Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir, is one of the reasons for the government’s insistence on resuming the fighting at this stage.
This ensures the survivability of the government at a time when the highly problematic 2025 state budget must be passed in the Knesset by the end of March, or else the government will fall.
While Otzma Yehudit has returned to the government, the opposition has petitioned the High Court of Justice to prevent Ben-Gvir’s return as national security minister because of various charges against him; the move is supported by the Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara.
The continued efforts of Justice Minister Yariv Levin to push his reform/revolution of the judicial system, to the detriment of its liberal foundations, is another issue that remains unresolved, as is the prime minister’s dismissal of Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Ronen Bar last Friday.
It is no secret that Netanyahu does not trust Bar, who is among the military top brass responsible for the intelligence failure that led to Hamas’s mega-atrocity in Israel on October 7.
However, the timing of Bar’s dismissal is problematic, due to the current Shin Bet’s investigation of “Qatargate” – in which Qatari sources allegedly paid the salary of Netanyahu’s spokesman for military affairs, Eliezer Feldstein (who never received security clearance).
Netanyahu responded by accusing the opposition of forming a leftist “deep state.” This accusation first appeared in a post on his official X account and was later moved to his personal account.
“In America and in Israel, when a strong right-wing leader wins an election, the leftist Deep State weaponizes the justice system to thwart the people’s will,” he wrote.
Once again, the High Court has intervened to postpone Bar’s dismissal. This will apparently also occur in the case of Baharav-Miara, whose dismissal on grounds of allegedly standing in the government’s way was top of the agenda during yesterday’s cabinet meeting.
State commission of inquiry
Another contentious issue is the formation of a state commission of inquiry to investigate the events and decisions that led up to the massacre by Hamas on October 7. Netanyahu and his government object to the establishment of such a commission, whose members would be appointed by Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, whose election last February the prime minister and his cohorts refuse to recognize.
All the alternatives that the government has offered are unacceptable to the opposition. The sad fact is that Netanyahu refuses to accept any responsibility for what happened on October 7, or for any other failure he might have been involved in.
Preventing elections
Last, but not least: There is a growing suspicion in opposition circles that Netanyahu might try to prevent elections, set for the end of October 2026, or at least prevent fair elections from taking place.
Although the opposition keeps calling for elections immediately, there is nothing it can do to force early elections. According to the Israeli system, the results of the last elections remain in force as long as the current government manages to hold on to its majority until the designated date of the next elections.
Even though all the opinion polls (except for Channel 14’s most recent one) show that if elections were held today, the current government would lose its majority, the hands of the opposition are tied.
This mass of issues – together with growing mutual animosity and regrettably, even hatred – has resulted in mistrust between the two sides of the political spectrum reaching dangerous proportions. Last Thursday, Aharon Barak, the retired Supreme Court president, appeared on several local news channels, saying he fears that the country is headed toward civil war.
Hopefully, this will not happen.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-847234
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How Can There Be A Brighter Future For Syria’s Kurds?
By Neville Teller
March 24, 2025
It is now common practice to refer to Ahmed al-Sharaa as Syria’s interim president. Following the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa was appointed on January 29, 2025, by the Syrian General Command – the collective leadership of the rebel factions that had coordinated Assad’s overthrow.
Tasked with forming a temporary legislative council and overseeing the drafting of a new constitution, he was given a timeline of up to three years to rewrite the constitution and up to four to hold elections.
Sharaa is not a man to let grass grow under his feet. He decided to start the process by producing an interim constitution. On March 13, he signed a 44-article document, possibly pointing the way toward the new draft constitution when it finally emerges for consultation.
The interim document commits the nation’s governance to unity and inclusivity and explicitly pledges to maintain freedom of opinion and expression. It establishes a People’s Committee to function as an interim parliament and extends the timeline for organizing elections from four to five years.
Despite the claimed good intentions of the new leadership, skepticism persists among religious and ethnic minorities about how inclusive the new structure will be – fears possibly enhanced by the ruthlessness with which Sharaa crushed an insurgency launched on March 6 by local militias loyal to Assad.
Rights groups say that hundreds of civilians, mostly from the Alawite minority sect to which Assad belongs, were killed in retaliatory attacks. Conflict between Sunni and Shi’ite adherents of Islam – like this one – can be truly brutal and bloody.
The Kurds
One minority group, however, has real cause to rejoice at Sharaa’s declared commitment to inclusivity in the new Syria – the Kurds.
Back in 2012, with Syria’s civil war in its early stages, government forces were withdrawn from facing ISIS in the north and deployed to counter the anti-Assad rebels.
Kurdish forces flooded in to fill the power vacuum and began attacking the ISIS caliphate. By 2014-2015, with ISIS in retreat, the Kurds’ battle for Kobani drew US support. Soon after, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by Kurdish troops, was established with American backing to complete the defeat of ISIS.
Now the SDF governs a large, semi-autonomous region in northeast Syria called Rojava. Most of its population, numbering up to 4 million, is of Kurdish origin, though it also accommodates a variety of other sects. Rojava occupies some 25% of what was originally sovereign Syria.
On March 10, three days before Sharaa signed his new interim constitution, he signed a formal agreement with the SDF leader, Gen. Mazloum Abdi. It stipulates that the Kurdish-led SDF is to be integrated into the nation’s military forces. In addition, the agreement calls for the integration of all “civil and military institutions” in north-eastern Syria.
That commitment has potentially vast implications. The “civil institutions” in northeastern Syria encompass the semi-autonomous Rojava region and include oil and gas fields, border crossings, and airports.
Syria’s new constitution, when it eventually appears, could propose a situation akin to that in Iraq, where a Kurdish-majority area has been recognized as a federal entity and accorded autonomy within the constitution.
Ever since the fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, the Kurds of Iraq had pressed for autonomy, if not independence. In 1970, after years of conflict, the Iraqi government and Kurdish leaders reached an Autonomy Agreement, but it was never fully implemented.
Following the 1991 Gulf War, a US-led coalition granted the Kurds virtual autonomy, and this status was ratified after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
In 2005, the new Iraqi constitution formally recognized the Kurdistan Region, which stretches across the north of the country, as an autonomous federal entity with its own government, parliament, and security forces (the Peshmerga).
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) was granted authority over internal matters, while Baghdad retained control over foreign policy, defence, and monetary policy.
That something similar could eventually be offered to the Kurds of Syria becomes a real possibility with the agreement reached between Sharaa and the SDF. Such an outcome would be a nightmare from the point of view of Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey, a long-time supporter of HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham), the rebel movement that overthrew the Assad regime, now has strong political influence with Sharaa, its leader. Erdogan no doubt hopes to use it to control his perennial Kurdish problem by continuing to occupy the swaths of Syria that he has overrun.
But despite his dominant political position in post-Assad Syria, it is far from certain that he will be able to do so.
Erdogan has consistently viewed the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the dominant force in the SDF, as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a militant group that has been a constant political irritant with its demand for Kurdish autonomy within Turkey.
Accordingly, in 2016, Erdogan instituted Operation Euphrates Shield, capturing an area in northern Syria. He followed this two years later with Operation Olive Branch, during which he overran Afrin.
In 2019, after the US announced its withdrawal from parts of northern Syria, he launched Operation Peace Spring, establishing a so-called “safe zone” on the Syrian side of the Turkish-Syrian border, aiming to use it to resettle Syrian refugees currently in Turkey.
Erdogan has more or less annexed all the areas he has overrun. They are now governed by Turkey-backed local councils, use the Turkish lira as currency, and are heavily influenced by Turkish infrastructure projects, including schools, hospitals, and post offices. It is doubtful if these could survive a new Syrian constitution.
Even more disturbing from Erdogan’s point of view is that Rojava in northern Syria abuts the KRG in northern Iraq and that the idea of their amalgamating at some point in the future to form a Kurdistan Free State becomes a real possibility.
The implications for Turkey of such a development would be profound and present Erdogan with one of the biggest geopolitical challenges of his presidency. The most likely scenario would be for him to take a hardline military approach, but this could come at the cost of worsening Turkey’s relations with its allies and deepening domestic unrest.
Meanwhile, it certainly looks as though Kurdish autonomy could be recognized and ratified in Syria’s new constitution.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-847213
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Brick By Brick, Palestine’s Future Is Being Stolen
Hani Hazaimeh
March 23, 2025
Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank is not only a violation of international law but a direct assault on the daily lives, dignity and future of the Palestinian people. With every new illegal settlement, Palestinian families are forced from their homes, their land stolen and their communities fragmented. The consequences are devastating — entire generations are growing up under the constant threat of displacement, their livelihoods systematically eroded by a state policy designed to make life unbearable. The world must confront this injustice, not as an abstract political issue but as a relentless campaign of forced displacement that is destroying Palestinian society.
Across the West Bank, Palestinian families are being driven from their homes by a combination of military orders, settler violence and economic strangulation. The village of Khan Al-Ahmar, for instance, has become a symbol of this injustice. Despite international condemnation, Israel has repeatedly attempted to demolish the community, forcing its residents — many of whom are Bedouins who have already been displaced multiple times — to live in constant uncertainty.
Similarly, in Masafer Yatta, more than 1,000 Palestinians face imminent expulsion after an Israeli court ruled that their land could be turned into a military training zone. These are not isolated incidents; they are part of a calculated strategy to push Palestinians out of their ancestral lands, making way for Israeli settlers who move in with full state support and military protection.
The impact of illegal settlements extends beyond the immediate destruction of Palestinian homes. Entire communities are being cut off from their agricultural land, their water sources and even basic infrastructure like roads and schools. Israeli settlers, emboldened by government policies, routinely attack Palestinian farmers, uproot olive trees and block access to essential resources.
The economic toll is immense. Palestinian families who have farmed their land for generations are being pushed into poverty, unable to sustain their way of life. In the cities, businesses suffer under movement restrictions, while home demolitions and residency revocations continue to strip Palestinians of their rights. The goal is clear: to make Palestinian existence in the West Bank untenable, forcing more families into displacement.
The repercussions of this forced displacement are not confined to Palestine alone. If settlements continue to expand unchecked, the entire region will feel the consequences, with Jordan being the most directly affected. Jordan has already absorbed multiple waves of Palestinian refugees and another mass displacement would strain its economy, infrastructure and demographic balance. Israel’s policies are making the “alternative homeland” theory — a dangerous notion that suggests Jordan should permanently absorb displaced Palestinians — seem more plausible. This is not only unacceptable but a direct threat to Jordan’s sovereignty and stability.
As the world watches in silence, Israel is systematically engineering a reality in which Palestinians are left with no land, no rights and no future. This is not a conflict between two equal sides — it is the displacement of an entire people by a state that enjoys impunity. The international community must act decisively to halt settlement expansion, enforce accountability for settler violence and uphold the basic rights of Palestinians to live in their own land. Anything less is complicity in a policy of slow but deliberate ethnic cleansing.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2594615
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Gaza War Compels China To Review Its Middle East Policy
Talmiz Ahmad
March 23, 2025
For nearly two decades, China’s approach to the Middle East has been characterized by what Sun Degang and other Chinese scholars have described as “a trade-off between maximum economic benefits and minimum political risks.” The carnage in Gaza and the attendant changes in the power equations across the Middle East now demand that Beijing take a fresh look at its diplomacy in the region.
This has already been reflected in the measured remarks of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who, speaking at UN headquarters last month, categorically stated that the Palestinian question “remains at the core of the Middle East issue” and, until it is resolved through the two-state solution, “the peace and security of all countries will be threatened.”
China has thus signaled that its earlier “hedging strategy” — the policy of “offending no one” — is no longer feasible. This approach had enabled China to build very substantial energy, economic and, through the Belt and Road Initiative, terrestrial and maritime connectivity links with the countries of the Gulf. Again, China’s recent engagements in the area of technology through the Digital Silk Road have coincided with the Gulf countries’ interest in developing their own digital economies, as set out in their ambitious “Vision” documents.
A decade ago, China’s hedging strategy approach had moved from passive to proactive. In 2017, Chinese scholars articulated their country’s “quasi-mediation diplomacy,” under which it would expand its role in the political and security arenas. At the heart of this approach was the “zero-enemy policy.” This involved the finalization of substantial strategic partnership agreements and the increasing engagement of major regional states in multilateral platforms supported by China.
Building on the earlier bilateral agreements and setting-up of dialogue platforms with Arab states, this approach has included China’s 25-year cooperation agreement with Iran signed in March 2021, the Saudi-Iran reconciliation agreement of March 2023, the July 2024 Beijing Accord between 14 Palestinian factions, and the extension of membership of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to major Middle Eastern countries.
The changes in the regional scenario as a result of the Gaza war and attendant confrontations with Iran and its allies call for a new diplomatic approach by China.
The principal changes in the regional scenario are: first, the emergence of a militarily triumphant Israel and its aggressive territorial claims in the Occupied Territories and Syria. Second, the significant weakening of Iran and its so-called axis of resistance. Third, the total support being extended by the US to Israel with regard to its maximalist regional agenda. And, finally, the severe setback to Palestinian aspirations for a sovereign state.
US President Donald Trump has complicated the picture with harsh rhetoric against Palestinian interests and Iran, affirming that a US-Israel alliance will dominate Middle East affairs. Trump has also made it clear that his “America First” approach includes challenging China’s political, economic and technological influence in the region.
While Chinese scholars such as Sun wrote in October 2024 that the US and China “share compatible and complementary interests” in terms of regional security and conflict de-escalation, this now has little relation with reality. In its engagements with Middle East states, China has always been conscious that the US views it as a rival and sees its expanding influence in zero-sum terms. Both the US and Israel, for instance, view China’s political and economic support for Iran negatively, as well as China’s silence on Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping.
In the coming months, Trump may be expected to revive the “maximum pressure” approach toward Iran, while insisting that Gulf Cooperation Council states pursue the normalization of ties with Israel and increase their purchases of American weaponry. This, in short, requires them to abandon their affiliation with strategic autonomy that is at the heart of the GCC’s “Vision for Regional Security,” announced in March 2024. This will also inevitably require the dilution of their ties with China.
This will threaten Beijing’s crucial energy, economic and long-term strategic interests. The changed security scenario in the Middle East and the emerging challenges from the US require that China move beyond its hedging strategy and shape a new approach that effectively safeguards its interests. This should have the following attributes:
One, support the Gulf states’ commitment to strategic autonomy by making itself an indispensable energy, economic and security presence, with a robust pursuit of partnerships in diverse economic and political areas.
Two, expand energy, infrastructure and technological ties with Saudi Arabia, while promoting close ties between the GCC and Iran.
Three, extend full and overt support to Palestinian aspirations through involvement with reconstruction in Gaza and the West Bank and defend Palestinian interests at the UN and other international fora.
This approach calls for a fundamental review of China’s generally hands-off approach that has, over the years, yielded great benefits to it. Earlier, China took great umbrage when outgoing President Barack Obama described it as a “free rider” in the Middle East, i.e., obtaining advantages for itself while the US provided the security umbrella.
China now needs to assume a responsible role in the region’s security dynamics in order to confront the US-Israeli plans for long-term hegemony in the Middle East and to safeguard its own interests. This is also crucial for the future of the multipolar world order.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2594611
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https://www.newageislam.com/middle-east-press/israel-us-west-coast-iran-trump-gaza/d/134961
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