How widespread are Chinese cameras in Israel, what risks do they pose—and how can we counter them?

What were each side’s objectives heading into the historic meeting between the two presidents—and were they achieved?

“Operation Roaring Lion,” the war against Iran and its proxies, has not yet reached its conclusion. Although the final outcome remains unclear and the current situation may soon shift, the campaign’s distinctive characteristics allow for an interim assessment. This is the most extensive war fought in the Middle East since the Second Gulf War, and the first in which Israel is fighting as an active partner in a coalition with the United States. While its global implications have yet to fully emerge, it is already clear that the war carries significant implications for the Gulf States, the global energy market, Israel’s international standing, and great-power competition.

Despite the prevailing perception that China retreated from the Middle East in 2025 amid the renewed strengthening of the United States in the region and the absence of significant Chinese involvement in the Israel-Iran war, the reality is more complex. A multi-dimensional analysis of trade, investment, technology, as well as security and diplomatic ties, shows that not only has China not retreated from the Middle East, but it has continued to consolidate and deepen its economic foothold there, maintaining a consistent pattern of conduct: avoiding security commitments while expanding economic influence. The round of confrontation between Israel, the United States, and Iran in early 2026 highlights this trend: China remains a marginal actor in the military arena, yet acts cautiously to leverage the crisis in order to accumulate long-term influence. The central question that remains open is whether and how China will be involved in Iran’s post-war reconstruction—particularly in the rehabilitation of its military capabilities and defense industry. This issue is not merely theoretical. It requires Israel to act in the international sphere alongside regional partners that have also been targeted by Iran, and influence China to refrain from such involvement, particularly with regard to rebuilding Iran’s military capabilities. Furthermore, Israel must prepare for the intensification of great power competition in the Middle East, potentially in a different and more acute form than that seen over the past decade.

What lessons can be drawn from the local elections held in Judea and Samaria and Gaza, looking toward future general elections?