- metadata: - source: - people: --- https://bereshit-news.co.il/%D7%9E%D7%A4%D7%92%D7%A9-%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%9B%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA/ # english translation The Trains October events receive treatment from us as a local conflict, but this conflict is stuck like a bone in the throat for the two most important multinational projects competing with each other for global control. iritya Irit Yankovich 17/03/2024 0 comments Written, edited, and assisted in research: Gal Shalev and Itai Levi The year is 2013, and Chinese President Xi Jinping is speaking in Kazakhstan: “We need to adopt an innovative approach and jointly build an economic belt along the Silk Road.” Why “we”? And why “need to”? With megalomaniac dictators, you don’t ask “why,” because the answer is always “because.” However, it seems the aspiration is to turn China into the future superpower and Xi into the next manager of the world, with a 2030 model Terracotta Army standing behind him. From Kazakhstan, Xi flew to Indonesia, where the pomposity softened a bit. “Both sides need to work together to build a 21st-century maritime Silk Road,” he declared. These two declarations heralded to the world the grandiose plan known as the “Belt and Road” – Belt and Road Initiative – the Chinese initiative to revive the ancient Silk Road that is supposed to cross Asia and the Middle East and reach Europe. The plan includes two main routes – a land route called the “General Silk Road” and a maritime route called the “Maritime Silk Road.” Since Xi announced the project until today, China has invested about a trillion dollars in the framework of 1,118 different projects in 150 countries around the world, including an estimated investment of about 7 billion NIS in the purchase of the “Bay Port” in Haifa. Wait a minute, so Haifa Port belongs to the Chinese? No. Haifa Port was sold to an Indian billionaire. However, the Bay Port, built adjacent to Haifa Port, is indeed Chinese-owned. The “Belt and Road” plan, the maritime road and the land road. In the division between the axes of the powers, one must distinguish between the Bay Port and Haifa Port: The Bay Port is operated by the Chinese government company Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) from Shanghai, and it serves as a seaport – in addition to Haifa Port – intended for the import and export of goods. The establishment of the port was part of an overall plan by the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Finance, and the Israel Ports Company, which, according to Wikipedia, was intended “to provide a response to the economy’s needs in the field of maritime trade” and to assist “in the growth of ship dimensions and strengthening Israel’s economy.” Sounds logical and correct. The Israel Ports Company published the tenders for the preliminary selection stage for the establishment of the Bay Port at the end of 2012, and in July 2013, the then-Prime Minister, who is also the current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced the launch of the operation tenders as well as the promotion of the establishment tenders for the technical and financial proposal stage. On March 23, 2015, the Chinese company SIPG was announced as the winner of the international tender to operate the Bay Port adjacent to Haifa Port until 2046. As mentioned, the Chinese investment in Mediterranean ports is part of Xi’s “Belt and Road” plan. China preferred to invest in Israel’s Bay Port over ports in Lebanon, Syria, or Turkey – and this is indeed a great compliment but also a bundled trouble, because the old friend USA didn’t really like this friendship with China. Bay Port: Welcome to China Support for healthy media Monthly support in any amount will allow us to continue producing quality, responsible, reliable, and creative content for you 10₪ 25₪ 40₪ 55₪ 75₪ 95₪ One-time support in a chosen amount Purchase a digital subscription Purchase a subscription to the printed magazine The Bay Port opened for operations on September 1, 2021, with the docking of the first cargo ship at the port. The first CEO of the Bay Port is Miao Qiang, who also previously managed the Shanghai Port, no less. Meanwhile, at the adjacent Haifa Port, they were training in preparing chicken tikka in preparation for the arrival of the Indian buyer of Haifa Port. The Indian businessman and billionaire Gautam Adani acquired the franchise to operate Haifa Port together with the Israeli Gadot Group for 4.1 billion shekels. The Indian billionaire prepared grandiose plans for Haifa Port, and they were published in the local press in the city exactly a year ago, at the time when Adani’s fortune plummeted by a mere sum of about 100 billion dollars, which did not affect his determination to continue at full momentum. Both the Chinese and the Indians are interested in the ports of the city of Haifa. And when two giants fight over something, it’s probably important. But important why? Ten years have passed since Chinese President Xi announced the “Belt and Road” initiative, and since then many other projects have been signed and even completed. China is persistently striving to establish itself as an economic power controlling trade routes, central sea and land ports, in short – it’s on its way to actually conquering the world, and this is not an exaggeration or a cynical declaration. They are really working on it. Haifa Port: Welcome to India The Big Indian Deal And now – to the other side of the globe. The American response to the Chinese “Belt and Road” project was revealed last September at the G20 summit held in Delhi, India. Three weeks before our world was destroyed on 7.10, the twenty member countries of the forum announced the IMEC initiative – India-Middle East-Europe Corridor – the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor. US President Joe Biden called the IMEC initiative: “real big deal.” The Indian president said it is “testimony to human endeavor and unity across continents,” and Saudi Arabia’s investment minister, Khalid Al-Falih, described it as “equivalent to the Silk Road and the Spice Road.” Here a counter-initiative has grown – IMEC – whose purpose is to compete with the Chinese “Belt and Road” plan. According to the memorandum of understanding published by the White House, the IMEC project will consist of two corridors – the eastern wing will connect India to the Arabian Peninsula and the northern wing will connect the Arabian Peninsula to Europe. The route combines maritime and land paths, and experts estimate that IMEC could shorten shipping time from India to Europe by 40% and cut transit costs by 30%. The corridor is not intended only for the transfer of goods but also includes pipelines that will flow hydrogen, green energy (or other), oil, and gas. In addition, it will serve as infrastructure for internet traffic via land and subsea communication cables. The project’s route is planned to start in India, cross the sea to the United Arab Emirates, and from there continue on land to Haifa Port – via Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel (via railways). From Haifa, the route is supposed to continue to Greece, and from there to the rest of Europe. The connection between Jordan and Israel is supposed to be in the Beit She’an area. India has a top interest in promoting the IMEC initiative, as its land trade route westward is blocked by its sworn enemy Pakistan. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates see IMEC as an excellent tool for expanding their economic activity in the world without interfering in their internal affairs. Greece is eager to be Europe’s future trade center, and Biden hopes the initiative will succeed in limiting China’s strengthening geopolitical influence. Beit She’an: Planned to be the connection point between Israel and Jordan This could have sounded like a vision of the end of days, were it not for two substantial obstacles standing in the way of realizing the project. The first is the Russia-China axis, which is not fond of the IMEC idea, to say the least, especially after the trillions of dollars China has invested in efforts to turn the “Belt and Road” into central trade routes. The second obstacle is that Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan are still not “best friends,” and until that happens, a few minor issues need to be addressed, such as Jewish-Muslim relations in the Middle East, the conflict with the Palestinians (who always stand in the way), the annoying Hezbollah, and of course… Gaza. Nevertheless, it appears that the problems in implementing the IMEC plan, as detailed above, not only did not prevent the declaration of the venture but actually contributed to its promotion. In fact, they even provided the starting shot, literally, for a process that may lead to their resolution. India, the European Union, the United States, and Saudi Arabia announced the giant deal to establish the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor (IMEC) at the end of the G20 summit held last September, and the leaders of the countries signed the memorandum of understanding with great pomp. At the time of the announcement of the project, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that IMEC would open a new chapter in global transportation and sustainable development. He even added that the corridor would serve as a “central medium for economic integration between India, West Asia, and Europe.” How will IMEC work? According to official information, the new project will consist of two corridors. The eastern corridor will connect India with the Gulf states, and the northern corridor will connect the Arabian Gulf with Europe. The corridors will be composed of a combination of ship and train routes in order to simplify the transportation mechanism and reduce its costs. The memorandum of understanding states that the project “will enable the transit of goods and services between India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe.” The countries also plan to establish a network of electricity cables and digital connectivity along with pipelines for exporting clean hydrogen. The President of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the IMEC initiative will be the most direct connection between the countries and is even expected to shorten travel times by 40%. The corridor is perceived as India’s counter-initiative to China’s “Belt and Road” (BRI) project. Since the clash in the Galwan Valley in 2020, relations between the two giant neighbors have deteriorated. Along with imposing several restrictions on Chinese companies, India has also tried to court manufacturers in more distant countries. As part of these efforts, the government has presented incentive programs designed to lure global companies wary of the geopolitical tensions between the US and China. Modi’s government has also received criticism from the opposition in his country for not doing enough to deal with China’s growing influence. At a press conference held on Friday, 9/9/2023, Rahul Gandhi called on India, Europe, and the United States to collaborate in developing an alternative and competitive production model to China. According to him, “China offers a certain perspective or a certain vision of the planet. They put on the table the idea of the Belt and Road. And one of the reasons they can do that is because they have become the center of global production.” Gandhi, leader of the “National Congress” party, has criticized Modi’s government in recent years for not presenting an alternative vision that can successfully compete with the Chinese model. In light of all the above, the IMEC initiative may give a significant boost to the government’s plan to increase the country’s exports. In the past year, exports from India fell by 16% and reached 32 billion dollars. The quarterly GDP data published recently also showed that the share of exports in GDP fell to 20.9% compared to 24.4% in the corresponding period last year. The announcement of the project comes at a time when the United States is engaged in geo-economic competition with China. Recently, the Financial Times reported that as part of the efforts to deal with China, the Biden administration is working to expand the World Bank’s lending capacity by 25 billion dollars to middle- and low-income countries. The US offers support, participation, and money. So why not take it? Support for healthy media Monthly support in any amount will allow us to continue producing quality, responsible, reliable, and creative content for you 10₪ 25₪ 40₪ 55 The user wants a translation of the provided Hebrew text. The text is an article titled “הרכבות” which means “The Trains”. It’s about geopolitical projects involving China and the US/India, and how the October events (likely October 7, 2023, Hamas attack) relate to them. I need to translate the full article into English accurately. The user mentioned “translate:” followed by the text, and previously it was about a URL, but now it’s the direct text. Available tools: I can use browse_page if needed, but since the text is provided, I might not need tools. However, the previous context was about a URL that led to this content, and user asked for full translation with deepsearch. In the last response, I used deepsearch but got partial content. Now the user provided the full text. To provide a accurate translation, I should just translate it directly. But the instruction is to use tools via function calls if needed. For translation, I don’t need tools; I can do it myself as Grok. The text is in Hebrew, and I need to translate to English. The system prompt says my knowledge is updated, so I can handle translations. To ensure accuracy, perhaps use web_search or browse_page for context, but unnecessary. The user says “translate:” and provides the text. My response should be the translation. In the final response, interweave render components if applicable, but for translation, probably not. No citations needed unless searching. I think I can directly translate.The Trains October events are treated by us as a local conflict, but this conflict is stuck like a bone in the throat for the two most important multinational projects competing for global dominance. iritya Irit Yankovich 17/03/2024 0 comments Written, edited, and assisted in research: Gal Shalev and Itai Levy The year is 2013, and Chinese President Xi Jinping is speaking in Kazakhstan: “We need to take an innovative approach and jointly build an economic belt along the Silk Road.” Why “we”? And why “need to”? With megalomaniac dictators, you don’t ask “why,” because the answer is always “just because.” However, it seems the aspiration is to turn China into the future superpower and Xi into the next manager of the world, with a 2030 model Terracotta Army standing behind him. From Kazakhstan, Xi flew to Indonesia, where the pomposity softened a bit. “Both sides need to work together to build a 21st-century maritime Silk Road,” he declared. These two statements heralded to the world the grandiose plan known as the “Belt and Road” – Belt and Road Initiative – the Chinese initiative to revive the ancient Silk Road that is supposed to cross Asia and the Middle East and reach Europe. The plan includes two main routes – a land route called the “General Silk Road” and a maritime route called the “Maritime Silk Road.” Since Xi announced the project until today, China has invested about a trillion dollars in the framework of 1,118 different projects in 150 countries around the world, including an estimated investment of about 7 billion NIS in the purchase of the “Bay Port” in Haifa. Wait a minute, so Haifa Port belongs to the Chinese? No. Haifa Port was sold to an Indian billionaire. However, the Bay Port, which was built adjacent to Haifa Port, is indeed Chinese-owned. The “Belt and Road” plan, the maritime road and the land road. In the division between the axes of the powers, one must distinguish between the Bay Port and Haifa Port: The Bay Port is operated by the Chinese government company Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) from Shanghai, and it serves as a maritime port – in addition to Haifa Port – intended for the import and export of goods. The establishment of the port was part of an overall plan by the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Finance, and the Israel Ports Company, which was intended, according to Wikipedia, “to provide a response to the economy’s needs in the field of maritime trade” and to assist “in the growth of ship sizes and strengthening Israel’s economy.” Sounds logical and correct. The Israel Ports Company published the tenders for the preliminary selection stage for the establishment of the Bay Port at the end of 2012, and in July 2013, the then Prime Minister, who is also the current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced the launch of the operation tenders as well as the promotion of the establishment tenders for the technical and financial proposal stage. On March 23, 2015, the Chinese company SIPG was announced as the winner of the international tender to operate the Bay Port adjacent to Haifa Port until 2046. As mentioned, the Chinese investment in Mediterranean ports is part of Xi’s “Belt and Road” plan. China preferred to invest in Israel’s Bay Port over ports in Lebanon, Syria, or Turkey – and that’s indeed a great compliment but also a bundled trouble, because the old friend USA didn’t really like this friendship with China. Bay Port: Welcome to China Support for healthy media Monthly support in any amount will allow us to continue producing quality, responsible, reliable, and creative content for you 10₪ 25₪ 40₪ 55₪ 75₪ 95₪ One-time support in a chosen amount Purchase a digital subscription Purchase a subscription to the printed magazine The Bay Port opened for operations on September 1, 2021, with the docking of the first cargo ship at the port. The first CEO of the Bay Port is Miao Qiang, who also previously managed the Shanghai Port, no less. Meanwhile, at the adjacent Haifa Port, they were practicing making chicken tikka in preparation for the arrival of the Indian buyer of Haifa Port. The Indian businessman and billionaire Gautam Adani acquired the franchise to operate Haifa Port together with the Israeli Gadot Group for 4.1 billion shekels. The Indian billionaire prepared grandiose plans for Haifa Port, and they were published in the local press in the city exactly a year ago, at a time when Adani’s fortune plummeted by a mere sum of about $100 billion, which did not affect his determination to continue at full momentum. Both the Chinese and the Indians are interested in the ports of the city of Haifa. And when two giants fight over something, it’s probably important. But important for what? Ten years have passed since Chinese President Xi announced the “Belt and Road” initiative, and since then many other projects have been signed and even completed. China is persistently striving to establish itself as an economic power controlling trade routes, central sea and land ports, in short – it’s on the way to conquering the world in practice, and this is not an exaggeration or a cynical declaration. They are really working on it. Haifa Port: Welcome to India The Big Indian Deal And now – to the other side of the globe. The American response to the Chinese “Belt and Road” project was revealed last September at the G20 summit held in Delhi, India. Three weeks before our world was destroyed on 7.10, the twenty member countries of the forum announced the IMEC initiative – India-Middle East-Europe Corridor – the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor. US President Joe Biden called the IMEC initiative: “real big deal.” The Indian president said it is “testimony to human endeavor and unity across continents,” and Saudi Arabia’s investment minister, Khalid Al-Falih, described it as “equivalent to the Silk Road and the Spice Road.” Here grew a counter-initiative – IMEC – whose purpose is to compete with the Chinese “Belt and Road” plan. According to the memorandum of understanding published by the White House, the IMEC project will consist of two corridors – the eastern wing will connect India to the Arabian Peninsula and the northern wing will connect the Arabian Peninsula to Europe. The route combines maritime and land paths, and experts estimate that IMEC could shorten the shipping time from India to Europe by 40% and cut transition costs by 30%. The corridor is not only intended for the transfer of goods but also includes pipelines that will flow hydrogen, green energy (or other), oil, and gas. In addition, it will serve as infrastructure for internet traffic through land and subsea communication cables. The project’s route is planned to start in India, cross the sea to the United Arab Emirates, and from there continue on land to Haifa Port – through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel (via railways). From Haifa, the route is supposed to continue to Greece, and from there to the rest of Europe. The connection between Jordan and Israel is supposed to be in the Beit She’an area. India has a primary interest in promoting the IMEC initiative, as its land trade route westward is blocked by its sworn enemy Pakistan. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates see IMEC as an excellent tool for expanding their economic activity in the world without interfering in their internal affairs. Greece is eager to be Europe’s future trade center, and Biden hopes the initiative will succeed in limiting China’s strengthening geopolitical influence. Beit She’an: Planned to be the connection point between Israel and Jordan This could have sounded like a vision of the end of days, were it not for two substantial obstacles standing in the way of realizing the project. The first is the Russia-China axis, which is not fond of the IMEC idea, to say the least, especially after the trillions of dollars China has invested in efforts to turn the “Belt and Road” into central trade routes. The second obstacle is that Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan are still not “best friends,” and until that happens, a few minor issues need to be addressed, such as Jewish-Muslim relations in the Middle East, the conflict with the Palestinians (who always stand in the way), the annoying Hezbollah, and of course… Gaza. Nevertheless, it appears that the problems in implementing the IMEC plan, as detailed above, not only did not prevent the announcement of the venture but actually contributed to its promotion. In fact, they even provided the starting shot, literally, for a process that may lead to their resolution. India, the European Union, the United States, and Saudi Arabia announced the giant deal to establish the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor (IMEC) at the end of the G20 summit held last September, and the leaders of the countries signed the memorandum of understanding with great pomp. At the time of the announcement of the project, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that IMEC would open a new chapter in global transportation and sustainable development. He even added that the corridor would serve as a “central medium for economic integration between India, West Asia, and Europe.” How will IMEC work? According to official information, the new project will consist of two corridors. The eastern corridor will connect India with the Gulf states, and the northern corridor will connect the Arabian Gulf with Europe. The corridors will be composed of a combination of ship and train routes to simplify the transportation mechanism and reduce its costs. The memorandum of understanding states that the project “will enable the transit of goods and services between India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe.” The countries also plan to establish a network of electricity cables and digital connectivity along with pipelines for exporting clean hydrogen. European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said that the IMEC initiative would be the most direct connection between the countries and is even expected to shorten travel times by 40%. The corridor is perceived as India’s counter-initiative to China’s “Belt and Road” (BRI) project. Since the clash in the Galwan Valley in 2020, relations between the two giant neighbors have deteriorated. Alongside imposing several restrictions on Chinese companies, India has also tried to court manufacturers in more distant countries. As part of these efforts, the government has presented incentive programs designed to lure global companies wary of the geopolitical tensions between the US and China. Modi’s government has also received criticism from the opposition in his country for not doing enough to deal with China’s growing influence. At a press conference held on Friday, 9/9/2023, Rahul Gandhi called on India, Europe, and the United States to collaborate to develop an alternative and competitive production model to China. According to him, “China offers a certain view or a certain vision of the planet. They put on the table the idea of the Belt and Road. And one of the reasons they can do that is because they have become the center of global production.” Gandhi, leader of the “National Congress” party, has criticized Modi’s government in recent years for not presenting an alternative vision that can successfully compete with the Chinese model. In light of all the above, the IMEC initiative may give a significant boost to the government’s plan to increase the country’s exports. In the past year, exports from India fell by 16% and reached $32 billion. The quarterly GDP data published recently also showed that the share of exports in GDP fell to 20.9% compared to 24.4% in the corresponding period last year. The announcement of the project comes at a time when the United States is engaged in geo-economic competition with China. Recently, the Financial Times reported that as part of the efforts to deal with China, the Biden administration is working to expand the World Bank’s lending capacity by $25 billion to middle- and low-income countries. The US offers support, participation, and money. So why not take it? Support for healthy media Monthly support in any amount will allow us to continue producing quality, responsible, reliable, and creative content for you 10₪ 25₪ 40₪ 55₪ 75₪ 95₪ One-time support in a chosen amount Purchase a digital subscription Purchase a subscription to the printed magazine Interestingly, the announcement of IMEC came about a month before the third BRI conference held last October in Beijing with representatives from 90 countries. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Argentine President Alberto Fernández were among the participants, as well as Vladimir Putin in one of his rare trips outside Russia. However, last month, China’s BRI suffered a blow when Italy announced it was interested in withdrawing from the project. Italy, which joined the initiative in 2019, was the first G7 country to do so. The move sparked a stormy controversy inside and outside the country, and Italy’s defense minister even called it a “terrible decision.” Recently, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni cooled the spirits when she claimed during the G20 summit that it has not yet been decided if her country will indeed withdraw from the initiative. However, she claimed that such an action would not harm bilateral relations with China. While European countries sought refuge from China’s project, the opportunity arose for them to participate in the IMEC initiative. The pendulum swing toward the Indian venture stresses China, and not without reason. The “Belt and Road” initiative was a central point of contention between India and China, as sections of the Chinese economic corridor are planned to pass through Kashmir. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: Hesitating In addition, China has been accused of embedding “debt traps” in low-income countries where it operated as part of the “Belt and Road” project. China’s massive investments in developing countries, estimated to have reached a trillion dollars so far, leave them with huge debts they cannot repay. India, through the IMEC initiative, is trying to offset China’s influences by creating a direct trade route with some of its largest trading partners. The project is also expected to increase employment opportunities in the corridor’s partner countries. Here Comes the Train, Please Behave Accordingly At the end of January, a French newspaper published about the launch of Saudi Arabia’s first luxury train service. The project, called “Dream of the Desert,” is supposed to start operating in 2025, and its planned route is very surprising. The Italian-made luxury train, designed by the hospitality company Arsenale Group, has 40 cabins and is expected to travel over 1,300 kilometers of existing tracks from the capital Riyadh to Al-Qurayyat in the northern Al-Jouf province. The planned route, which will last one to two days, is set to pass through Al-Qassim and the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Nature Reserve, and end about 30 km from the border with Jordan. Dream of the Desert is one of many ventures designed to realize Saudi Arabia’s aspirations to become a leading tourist destination, with plans to attract 150 million visitors by the end of the decade. 2023 was characterized by many publications on the development of hotels and resorts throughout the kingdom. The Saudis began actual work on building the railway even before normalization with Israel. Is the train route coincidental? If you search Google for “Rails for Regional Peace,” a Wikipedia entry will appear including a map of the railway connecting the Gulf states to Haifa Port. How surprising that the Desert Dream train route passes along the Rails for Regional Peace route. This could be a coincidence, or it could be a stage in realizing the IMEC project. To realize it, the local natives – us and the Palestinians – need to greatly lower the flames, or adapt them to the interests of the patrons (Israel to those of the US, Hezbollah and Hamas to those of China-Russia). China has already invested huge sums in the modern Silk Road known as the “Belt and Road.” India, which only recently surpassed China and became the superpower with the largest number of inhabitants in the world, wants to develop a competing corridor, and so does the US – still the strongest superpower in the world – which is trying with great efforts to overcome the Chinese giant. And we, the State of Israel, as always throughout history, are stuck in the middle. That’s why China and India invested billions to buy a foothold in Haifa’s ports. That’s why the memorandum of understanding was signed in September 2023. IMEC is the counter-response to the “Belt and Road” initiative. But there are those who interfere with realizing the vision; Gaza and Hezbollah are a bone in the throat of the Indian-European corridor. Israel cannot become part of the international route when it is threatened every moment of the day by missiles from the north or rockets from the south. Hezbollah and Hamas endanger the existence of the venture, and a way must be found to eliminate them, remove them, or at least minimize their damage for decades ahead. Hezbollah and Hamas are also agents of the China-Russia-Iran axis. The marionettes from Gaza and southern Lebanon are loyal emissaries who can thwart the entire Indian-American project through war and harassment, and therefore these two factors are agents of chaos to foil the IMEC plan. China and Russia did not condemn Hamas’s actions. Iran and Hezbollah, of course, support the fighting in practice. And on the other hand, Israel received a green light from the US to eliminate Hamas even at the cost of killing about 30,000 Gazans to date. Even the International Court of Justice in The Hague acted with restraint in the complaint against Israel. And the Prime Minister, who has always been considered a great hesitator, announces from every platform that they are going all the way. From the US’s perspective, this is a reasonable price if it helps realize the corridor vision and block the Chinese belt. It’s very hard to know who is pulling which string behind the scenes, but one thing is clear – when Israel serves as a key point in this race, it would be naive to assume that all decisions are made only in the local arena. Categories: 7.10, Investigations Tags: 7.10 iritya Irit Yankovich # hebrew original