Part of the mission of the high-ranking Israeli delegation leaving for China at month’s end will be to persuade leaders in Beijing to change their position and support crippling economic sanctions against Iran.

Heading the Israeli mission will be Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya’alon, who will be accompanied by the Governor of the Bank of Israel Prof. Stanley Fischer, as they discuss economic, security and political matters with senior officials in China.

China maintains extensive economic interests in Iran, dependent on imported Iranian oil for local energy. To date, efforts to persuade Russia and China to support what Israel calls crippling sanctions against Iran have failed and in the meantime, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues moving ahead towards nuclear independence as the international community spins its wheels talking about sanctions and a “diplomatic solution”.

According to Israeli intelligence experts, the window of opportunity for a diplomatic solution to the crisis is rapidly closing and Israel may be faced with the harsh reality of a military strike, and the ramifications of such a move, which US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen warns will “destabilize the entire region”.

That said, Mullen was in Israel last week for high-level meetings, as were senior CIA and other officials during recent weeks, perhaps signaling that contrary to the statements in the media, the United States and Israel are working in tandem towards what many believe is an inevitable air strike against Iranian nuclear installations.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)