Netanyahu accuses China, Qatar of orchestrating anti-Israel campaign

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly acknowledged that Israel is undergoing a period of economic isolation, nearly two years into the country's widely criticized military campaign in Gaza. In remarks delivered at two separate events in Jerusalem, Netanyahu cited increasing international pressure and shifting alliances, singling out Qatar and China for allegedly spearheading a media-driven campaign to undermine Israel's legitimacy in the West.

Speaking at the Israeli Finance Ministry’s accountant general conference, Netanyahu underlined the growing importance of self-sufficiency in defence production, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“I am a supporter of the free market, but we may find ourselves in a situation where our arms industries are blocked. We will need to develop arms industries here — not only research and development, but also the ability to produce what we need,” the prime minister said.

Netanyahu went on to blame Muslim immigration to Europe for reshaping political sympathies across the continent.

He asserted that this demographic shift was “bending the governments” of Western Europe into cancelling defence deals with Israel.

Later in the day, addressing a delegation of 250 US state legislators at the Foreign Ministry, Netanyahu explicitly accused China and Qatar of orchestrating a campaign to isolate Israel.

“One is China. And the other is Qatar. They are organizing an attack on Israel… [through] the social media of the Western world and the United States. We will have to counter it, and we will counter it with our own methods,” he said.

Despite these concerns, Netanyahu insisted that Israel is not globally isolated.

“Have they achieved global isolation? No. The US is with us, as are many other countries. But we do currently have a problem centered in Western Europe, and we are working and will continue to work to remove this blockade,” he added.

Netanyahu’s rare acknowledgment comes amid growing international condemnation of Israel’s prolonged military operation in Gaza. While the United States remains a steadfast ally, key European partners, including the UK and Spain, have begun distancing themselves. The UK Ministry of Defence recently barred Israeli officers from attending the Royal College of Defence Studies, citing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “wrong,” according to The Telegraph.

Spain has also imposed an arms embargo, and several Western countries have pledged to recognize Palestinian statehood — developments that underscore Israel’s increasingly complex diplomatic landscape.

By Vafa Guliyeva