Chinese gift to Israeli ministers sparks diplomatic incident
The Israeli government gathered around Naftali Bennett, Sunday, December 26, 2021. A gift from the Chinese Embassy to Israeli ministers has sown discord between Beijing and the Jewish state.
AP - NIR ELIAS
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
On
Passover
, the Jewish Easter, a gift from the Chinese embassy to Israeli ministers has caused discord after security services suspected the gifts were being used to spy on them
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem
,
Michel Paul
A sympathetic gift near
Passover
turns into a diplomatic incident.
The Chinese
Embassy
sent Israeli government ministers thermal bottles.
But during the inspection of the gifts by the Israeli security services, they discovered a suspicious device in the bottom of these bottles, resembling a eavesdropping system.
The gifts were therefore immediately collected and put in a safe place.
"
Rumours
"
Chinese diplomats were strongly indignant at the reports, calling them "
baseless rumors with serious consequences, likely to divide China and Israel, tarnish China's image and mislead the public
".
Extremely rare fact, the
shin bet,
the Israeli counterintelligence service published an update at the request, it seems, of the Chinese embassy.
“
Shin Bet experts who examined the suspect device concluded that it was an inert part, intended to retain the vacuum seal in the walls of the bottle and preserve heat
,” a statement read.
apology letter
A letter of apology was also sent to the Chinese Embassy.
Ministries in Israel, however, have been instructed not to accept gifts from foreign entities.
►
To read also: Between China and Israel, cooperation contracts in spades
(
October 25, 2018
)
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