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BACKGROUND
As China brokers a deal between rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, potentially creating a greater threat to Israel, the FBI released a new report revealing a shocking rise in Jew hatred in America far higher than its previous estimates.
China is becoming an increasingly influential power in the Middle East, brokering a renewal of diplomatic relations between long-term rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia that could threaten both U.S. diplomatic strength in the Middle East and further endanger Israel.
The history of Saudi-Iran relations has been marked by conflicts and rivalries, as the two countries have long vied for power and influence in the Middle East. The two largest countries in the region are located just across the Persian Gulf from each other. There also are key demographic differences: Saudis are ethnic Arabs and adhere to Sunni Islam; Iranians are Persian and followers of Shi’a Islam.
The relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran deteriorated following the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979. The two countries often find themselves on opposing sides in regional proxy wars, with Yemen being the most recent example. Saudi Arabia has been often attacked by the Iranian-backed rebels in neighboring Yemen – firing hundreds of missiles and armed drones into Saudi Arabia, and killing dozens of civilians.
Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons further strained relations between the two regional foes. A major concern about Iran possessing nuclear weapons, beyond its direct threat to Israel, is the fear of a regional nuclear arms race. In December, the Saudi foreign minister stated: “If Iran gets an operational nuclear weapon, all bets are off.” Egypt and Turkey are often cited as regional nations that could seek nukes, as well as the UAE and Algeria.
Last August, the Chinese president made his first international trip since 2020 – to Saudi Arabia. The visit was seen as a sign of waning American influence in the region. The Biden Administration insisted that the U.S. was “not going anywhere” after President Biden met with the Saudis the previous month. A joint statement following the president’s visit dealt with the need to deter Iran’s interference in “the internal affairs of other countries, its support for terrorism through its armed proxies and its efforts to destabilize the security and stability of the region.”
The Saudi monarchy holds concerns about the U.S. directing its diplomatic and military strategy to Asia at the expense of its Middle East efforts to stabilize the region. The Saudis “hoped that the United States would protect it, but the Americans turned out to be hesitant, following the 2019 unmanned aerial vehicle attacks on Saudi Arabia, the UAVs launched against oil tankers and oil facilities,” stated a Tel Aviv University history professor.
China is seen as filling a void left by the U.S. with America’s focus on containing China’s expansion in Asia. China only recently closed a jet fighter deal with the UAE. The driver for this agreement was a delay by the U.S. to sell F-35s. China also sold weapons to Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Morocco and Algeria.
The Chinese government is well positioned to play a strategic role in the region following expanding relations with Persian Gulf countries. China signed a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement with Iran in 2021, and a year later followed up with a six-year strategic deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.
Alarming Number of Anti-Jewish Assaults in U.S.
The FBI’s recently released hate crimes data shines a light on the shocking number of anti-Jewish assaults in the U.S. American Jews are the most targeted religious group: anti-Jewish attacks happen at a much higher rate than the proportion of Jews in the U.S. The statistics only show reported attacks; hundreds, if not thousands more every year are not reported to the police.
The FBI’s data matches recent reports from the ADL. The organization’s tracking of anti-Jewish hate crimes documented a record number of attacks – the highest since it began data tracking in 1979. The most recent example was the discovery of swastikas and an image of Hitler left on the door of a Jewish student at Stanford University. The use of swastikas and comparisons to Nazis are weapons wielded by both the far-right and far-left on university campuses and beyond.
Hate is a problem for all Americans. The ADL’s 2022 report on white supremacist propaganda revealed it hit an all-time high: 6,700 reported white supremacist propaganda incidents. White supremacists are a major threat to American Jews – the Pittsburgh and Poway, CA, synagogue shootings are proof.
One organization active in NY, NJ, PA and WI is creating a homeschool program for white children and established a neo-Nazi youth movement inspired by the Hitler Youth. ADL’s CEO warned: “There’s no question that white supremacists and antisemites are trying to terrorize and harass Americans with their propaganda. We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash.”
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