Berlin – Israel’s Ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, has accused the Chinese government of actively bolstering the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, marking a potentially significant shift in regional power dynamics and raising concerns about Beijing’s strategic engagement in the Middle East. In remarks published Sunday by the Funke-Mediengruppe, Prosor stated that China has recently provided not only air defense systems but also components crucial for Hezbollah’s offensive rocket program – a development he characterized as unprecedented.
The accusations center on China’s perceived opportunism amidst a waning Russian presence in the region. Prosor suggested that Beijing is exploiting the diminished influence of Moscow to more firmly bind Iran’s government to its own geopolitical orbit, effectively using Hezbollah as a lever. This signals a calculated move to increase China’s standing in a region historically dominated by other global powers.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, opened a secondary front against Israel during the recent Gaza conflict, a series of actions that nearly decimated the militia’s leadership. Israel has publicly demanded Hezbollah’s disarmament as a prerequisite for a cessation of hostilities along the border. The current accusation of Chinese involvement casts a new light on the complexities of ending the ongoing tensions.
While China has consistently maintained a posture of neutrality in Middle Eastern conflicts, the alleged provision of military components to Hezbollah is likely to draw criticism, particularly from Western governments already wary of Beijing’s expanding global influence. Experts warn that China’s actions could exacerbate regional instability and complicate efforts towards a lasting resolution to the Israeli-Lebanese conflict. The allegations also raise questions about the limits of China’s non-interference policy and its willingness to engage in a more assertive role in shaping Middle Eastern geopolitics. The full extent and nature of China’s involvement remain unclear and are expected to be a subject of intense scrutiny in the coming weeks.
