Israel Matzav: Israeli threat causes China to criticize Iran

Israeli threat causes China to criticize Iran

Sometimes it pays to throw your weight around.

The Washington Post is reporting that the threat of an Israeli attack on Iran has caused China to reconsider its opposition to sanctions against Iran.

Two weeks before President Obama visited China, two senior White House officials traveled to Beijing on a "special mission" to try to persuade China to pressure Iran to give up its alleged nuclear weapons program.

If Beijing did not help the United States on this issue, the consequences could be severe, the visitors, Dennis Ross and Jeffrey Bader, both senior officials in the National Security Council, informed the Chinese.

The Chinese were told that Israel regards Iran's nuclear program as an "existential issue and that countries that have an existential issue don't listen to other countries," according to a senior administration official. The implication was clear: Israel could bomb Iran, leading to a crisis in the Persian Gulf region and almost inevitably problems over the very oil China needs to fuel its economic juggernaut, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Earlier this week, the White House got its answer. China informed the United States that it would support a toughly worded, U.S.-backed statement criticizing the Islamic republic for flouting U.N. resolutions by constructing a secret uranium-enrichment plant. The statement, obtained by The Washington Post, is part of a draft resolution to be taken up as soon as Thursday by the 35 nations that make up the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog.

It's lucky that Israel is willing to play the role of the out-of-control maniac. Otherwise, Obama would never get the Chinese to do anything.

Whether this will translate into Chinese support for sanctions against Iran remains to be seen. But it's the first time China has supported a resolution criticizing Iran since 2006.

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Israel Matzav: Israeli threat causes China to criticize Iran