In the days after Noa Al-Ghamani was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in Beijing repeatedly tried to persuade Chinese authorities to assist in her release, given that her mother is of Chinese descent. But no help was forthcoming, and Al-Ghamani was finally rescued in a daring operation on Saturday.
Despite persistent requests, Beijing has either ignored them or refused to help, denying any responsibility and citing the fact that Liora, the mother, had to renounce her citizenship (Chinese law does not recognise dual citizenship).
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Noah Al-Ghamani and his father Jacob
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Office)
Chinese officials told Israeli authorities they would not provide assistance to Noa Al-Ghamani because she was “half Chinese” and had “no Chinese blood in her veins.” Humanitarian appeals were ignored, and Chinese state media did not report on the abduction of an Israeli-Chinese citizen.
In December, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, that he had invited the Chinese ambassador to deliver a direct message to President Xi Jinping regarding Noah Al-Ghamani, who was taken hostage along with her partner. Netanyahu added that he had asked for Xi’s direct intervention in Al-Ghamani’s case.
The Israel-China Friendship Association also tried to assist Al-Ghamani and her family, but to no avail. Israeli sources expressed deep disappointment with Beijing’s handling of the situation, pointing to the lack of efforts to help and Israel’s complete lack of sympathy.
Since the war began, China has adopted a pro-Palestinian stance, calling for an end to attacks on Gaza and supporting anti-Israel resolutions in the UN Security Council.
