Israel-China Arms Trade: Unfreezing Times  By P. R. Kumaraswamy
| Professor - Jawaharlal Nehru University | Jul 16, 2012 Photo
Credit: Omer Granot, Wikimedia Commons Photo Credit: Omer
Granot, Wikimedia Commons Israeli Ambassador to China Matan
Vilnai  The appointment of a political figure as ambassador
often signals the level of importance attached to bilateral
relations, more so if the person in question was a career
military officer and current cabinet minister. This was the case
in February 2012 when Israel named Matan Vilnai as its next
ambassador to China. Beijing was more than happy to accept the
appointment of then-Israeli Minister of Home Front Defense,
seeing it as a signal for further improvement. Vilnai’s
selection is attributed to Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s reading
of the political future of his breakaway Ha'Atzma'ut
[Independence] party, which according to some surveys would not
make it to the next Knesset. Under similar circumstances in
1996, the Labor Party appointed Minister Ora Namir as a