BEIJING. A 50-year-old Israeli man employed at the Israeli Embassy in Beijing was attacked on Friday in front of a supermarket, Chinese police and the Israeli government reported. Beijing police promptly arrested a 53-year-old foreign suspect. The victim, identified as a family member of an Israeli diplomat, was assaulted without an apparent motive, and it remains unclear if the incident is connected to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
An Israeli government statement confirmed the victim’s stable condition after being transferred to the hospital but did not provide further details.
Video footage circulated on social media depicted the assailant wielding a knife and repeatedly stabbing the victim, leaving bloodstains on the sidewalk. Witnesses in the area reported hearing the victim’s cries as police cars and an ambulance arrived. A police cordon was established, and the bloodstains were later cleaned.
The attack took place as Muslims worldwide held large protests following Friday prayers in response to Israel’s intensive bombing campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamas’s incursion into southern Israel the previous Saturday.
In addition to the stabbing incident, Israel criticized China’s response to the initial Hamas attack, expressing deep disappointment. Israel’s Foreign Ministry conveyed this sentiment to China’s Middle East envoy, Zhai Jun, stating that China’s statements lacked a clear and unequivocal condemnation of the actions by Hamas against innocent civilians.
China responded by affirming its opposition to acts that harm civilians and violate international law, emphasizing its commitment to de-escalation efforts and a resumption of peace talks. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced that a Mideast envoy from China would travel to the region soon to work on a ceasefire and de-escalation.
China has been supportive of the Palestinian demand for an independent state while acknowledging Israel’s right to exist. Beijing has assigned blame for regional tensions on the United States, a key ally of Israel.
In Beijing, security was heightened around the Israeli Embassy, with both plainclothes and uniformed police officers present. Antisemitic comments surged on Chinese social media platforms since the outbreak of the conflict, leading the Israeli Embassy in Beijing to filter comments on its Chinese social media account.
Meanwhile, the United States has shown strong support for Israel during the ongoing conflict, deploying senior officials and additional military aid while also engaging in diplomatic efforts to address the crisis. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer voiced dissatisfaction with China’s initial response to the conflict but welcomed a subsequent statement expressing deep sadness over civilian casualties and condemnation of acts harming civilians.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
