In another sign of the growing importance Israel attributes to China in the
battle against Iran’s nuclear program, OC Home Front Command Maj.-Gen. Yair
Golan flew to Beijing Saturday night at the head of an Israeli military
delegation, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
Golan will hold talks with
top Chinese military and defense officials on a wide range of issues pertaining
to Israeli security, including the Iranian nuclear threat.
He will also
meet with Chinese officials to discuss civil defense and will brief them
on the
recent nationwide Home Front exercise Turning Point 4 that was held in
Israel.
Golan’s week-long visit comes two months after head of Military
Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin and head of the IDF’s Strategic
Planning Division Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel visited China as part of an
Israeli
effort to get Beijing to support new sanctions on Iran.
Ties with China
are a sensitive issue for the IDF. In 2005, a crisis erupted between the
Defense
Ministry and the Pentagon, which accused Israel of selling American
military
technology to China.
The crisis was resolved several years later after
Israel agreed to suspend all military sales to China and instituted new
safeguards and supervision on defense exports.
Nevertheless, the IDF
attaches importance to maintaining a solid relationship with China due
to the
role Beijing plays in stopping Iran’s nuclear program. In April, the
spokesman
for the Chinese military and Defense Ministry visited Israel as a guest
of IDF
Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Avi Benayahu.