China adopts a position linking the Israeli legislative escalation, specifically the Knesset’s passage of a law authorizing the execution of Palestinian prisoners (which occurred in late March 2026), to regional instability, including the potential for military confrontation with Iran. This stance is framed within the context of upholding the rule of international law and preventing the law of the jungle in international relations. Chinese intelligence agencies, military institutions, and think tanks view Israel’s ratification of the law authorizing the execution of Palestinian prisoners as a move with profound strategic and legal dimensions that transcend mere intellectual considerations. Their perspective can be summarized in several points, most notably the strategic and geopolitical view of the repercussions of this extremist Israeli law on undermining regional stability. Chinese think tanks, such as the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), believe that this law represents a dangerous escalation that diminishes the chances of reaching peaceful solutions and exacerbates tensions in the Middle East, thus threatening Chinese economic interests in the region. From a Chinese strategic perspective, this Israeli law also represents a tool for political polarization. Chinese institutions analyze the law as part of the right-wing Israeli government’s attempts to bolster its domestic popularity and entrench its apartheid policies.
China uses this tactic in its international discourse to criticize Western double standards. Chinese analyses indicate that the Israeli Knesset’s passage of the law to execute Palestinian prisoners represents a dangerous turning point, as it erodes deterrence. Chinese research centers and think tanks believe that this Israeli punishment will not deter attacks but will instead transform perpetrators into martyrs in the eyes of the public, thus motivating new generations to engage in armed resistance. Furthermore, relevant circles in Beijing believe that this Israeli law poses a danger to detainees, as there is growing concern that it could lead to direct retaliatory attacks against Israeli detainees, completely closing the door to political negotiations.
Chinese intelligence and military circles link the escalation in Palestine, through the ratification of the law authorizing the execution of Palestinian prisoners, to the Iranian war. According to China, the sensitivity of this timing reflects the principle of the unity of the Palestinian and Iranian arenas with respect to Israel and the escalating tensions. Therefore, China views the legislative and on-the-ground repression in the Palestinian territories as a factor fueling the regional conflict raging in Iran. While Israel and the United States bomb Iranian facilities, China considers these actions (whether legislative against the Palestinians or military against Iran) to be a violation of the UN Charter. China rejects the law of the jungle, as stated by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who said, Force does not solve problems, and unilateral practices, whether in the form of death penalty laws or military strikes, return the world to the law of the jungle and threaten energy security and international navigation. .
China’s strategic objectives in preventing Israel from enacting such discriminatory laws against Palestinian prisoners stem from its desire to protect its partnerships with countries in the region, including Iran and the Gulf states, through the Belt and Road Initiative. China seeks to safeguard its economic interests, particularly with Iran (which exports 90% of its oil to China), and believes that the continuation of extremist Israeli policies is pushing the region toward a comprehensive explosion that will harm these interests. At the same time, China is attempting to present itself as a mediator or a fair diplomatic alternative to the United States, calling for an immediate halt to military operations against Iran and the repeal of discriminatory laws against Palestinians to ensure stability in the Middle East.
Chinese intelligence, military, defense, and security agencies believe that the timing of this law, the Israeli law, is seen as an embarrassment to Chinese mediation efforts, especially given China’s attempts to present itself as an impartial peace broker (as demonstrated by its sponsorship of Palestinian reconciliation in Beijing). China views these discriminatory Israeli laws as an escalation that undermines the two-state solution and makes regional stability unattainable, thus harming its economic interests in the Belt and Road Initiative. For this reason, Beijing believes that this narrow-minded Israeli approach prioritizes partisan calculations over strategic stability, threatening to ignite further conflicts. Hence, China’s legal and human rights perspective criticizes these extremist Israeli laws for violating international law. Chinese analyses focus on the fact that this law constitutes a blatant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention concerning the protection of civilians in times of war, particularly as it is applied (discriminatoryly against Palestinians) while settlers are spared. Such extremist Israeli laws effectively legitimize extrajudicial killings. Therefore, some Chinese intelligence circles view this Israeli legislation with suspicion. This effectively legalizes the extrajudicial killings that were taking place on the ground, giving them a local legal cover that defies international will.
To counter this extremist and racist Israeli approach to Palestinian prisoners, Chinese military experts have outlined several security implications (from a military perspective) regarding the military and strategic impact of the law passed by the Israeli Knesset authorizing the execution of Palestinian prisoners and its effect on regional security. The Chinese military viewpoint is that the enactment of this extremist Israeli law will lead to an escalation of resistance. Chinese military research centers anticipate that its implementation will trigger a new wave of retaliatory operations, plunging the region into a vicious cycle of violence that will be difficult to control. China views this as an obstacle to its peace initiatives. Furthermore, several Chinese military analysts believe that these extreme laws will erode deterrence, meaning they will not achieve the desired deterrent effect and may even increase the prisoners’ and resistance fighters’ determination to fight to the end to avoid humiliating execution. This Chinese military perspective can be gleaned from a number of strategic analyses within Chinese academic and military circles, often disseminated through Chinese media outlets such as the Global Times & CGTN.
This is achieved through hosting Chinese military experts specializing in Middle Eastern affairs or through published analytical reports addressing Israeli policies. The analysis of these Chinese military experts touches upon a crucial point in the psychology of combat: when a fighter realizes that surrender means certain and humiliating death, they transform from a defender into someone who fights with suicidal ferocity. This is known in military literature as the critical corner dilemma. The details of this Chinese perspective, from a military standpoint, lie in breaking the barrier of fear: extreme laws transform captivity from a bargaining chip used by the occupying power into a motive for resistance. This eliminates any hope of survival through diplomatic or legal channels, making fighting to the last bullet the only logical option. The doctrine of martyrdom versus execution: Analysts believe that Palestinian resistance culture glorifies death for the cause. Consequently, the threat of execution does not constitute a genuine deterrent; rather, it may be seen as the culmination of a fighter’s journey, thus diminishing the punishment’s deterrent effect. Besides, (the erosion of intelligence value): From an intelligence perspective, deterrence and capture often rely on information gathering. If a fighter knows they will ultimately be executed, their incentive to cooperate or surrender will decrease, complicating the occupation army’s field operations. From a Chinese military perspective, this racist Israeli policy creates a situation of international incitement, as the Chinese side often believes that such laws weaken the moral legitimacy of any army in the eyes of the international community. This increases Israel’s political isolation and transforms prisoners into global symbols of oppression, a moral victory that outweighs the physical impact of execution. According to the Chinese military perspective, these laws may grant short-term domestic political gains to the extreme right, but in the long run, from a strategic military standpoint, they complicate field operations and create a generation more determined to fight for their very existence.
China’s stance on the law authorizing the execution of Palestinian prisoners was expressed through human rights condemnation. China, through its official media outlets such as Xinhua and CGTN, criticized the Israeli Knesset’s passage of the law in March 2026, deeming it a violation of fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. According to China, it also constitutes a blatant application of Israel’s apartheid policies. Beijing believes that these Israeli laws reflect flagrant discrimination and erode the remaining human rights of Palestinians, thus complicating the prospects for a political solution.
Accordingly, China’s official position and diplomatic efforts included emphasizing in international forums the necessity of respecting the rights of prisoners and detainees in accordance with international standards. China also recently participated in presenting proposals aimed at restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East, considering such laws an impediment to these efforts. China views the Israeli Knesset’s law authorizing the execution of Palestinian prisoners and the war against Iran as two sides of the same coin of unilateral policies that undermine the international order. It calls for a return to the negotiating table and adherence to the two-state solution as the only way to defuse regional tensions.
