Only half Chinese': China refused to help secure release of Noa Argamani
Since the early days following Noa Argamani's abduction from the Nova music festival on October 7, the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in Beijing made numerous attempts to persuade Chinese officials to assist in her release, given her mother's Chinese heritage. However, assistance was not forthcoming, and ultimately, Argamani was rescued Saturday in a daring operation.
Despite persistent appeals, Beijing refused to help, either by ignoring the requests or citing the fact that her mother Liora had to renounce her citizenship (Chinese law does not permit dual nationality), disclaiming any responsibility.
A Chinese official remarked to an Israeli counterpart that Noa Argamani was "only half Chinese" and "lacked Chinese blood," thus they would not assist her. Humanitarian pleas went unanswered, and Chinese state media did not report on the abduction of an Israeli-Chinese individual. In December, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset that he had "invited the Chinese ambassador and asked him to convey a direct message to President Xi Jinping regarding hostage Noa Argamani, who was taken along with her partner." Netanyahu added that he sought President Xi's personal intervention in Argamani’s case.
Israeli-Chinese friendship associations also attempted to assist Argamani and her family, but to no avail. An Israeli source expressed deep disappointment with Beijing’s handling of the situation, noting the lack of effort to assist and Israel's encounter with zero empathy. Since the beginning of the war, China has adopted a pro-Palestinian stance, calling for a halt to strikes in Gaza and supporting anti-Israel resolutions in the UN Security Council.
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