A nation led by a Jewish president foments anti-Semitic riots in a neighbouring state. An incredible scenario, one would think, but that is what Russia is expecting us to believe. Putin is clearly exploiting divisions in the US Congress over President Biden's support for both Israel and Ukraine. Mike Johnson, the new hard-line Speaker of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is seeking to support Israel's military effort separately to the detriment of the Ukraine. Clearly the powerful Jewish lobby in the States would welcome this and any indication that Kyiv is on the side of Hamas would encourage it. Russia has already spread the rumour that NATO weapons sent to Ukraine have finished up in Gaza and the West Bank.
At the same time, China, which has so far affected a neutral stance over both Ukraine and Gaza, sees the latter as a chance to distract the US from her protection of Taiwan and islands in the South China Sea. The latter are claimed by China, a claim not supported by the United Nations. However, as Michael Burleigh explains, China needs some sophisticated diplomacy to maintain good relations with both Israel (whose technical expertise she covets) and the Islamic world (including states which supply oil to China) while exploiting the Gaza conflict.
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