US Senate warns Israel against letting China run Haifa port

WASHINGTON (JTA) — A major spending bill in the Senate includes a veiled warning to Israel not to allow Beijing to run one of its ports and reconsider massive investments to flowing into Israel from China.

The National Defense Authorization Act is in its final stages of passage and is likely to be approved by the Republican-led Senate.

It includes a “sense of the Senate” passage stating that “the United States has an interest in the future forward presence of United States naval vessels at the Port of Haifa in Israel but has serious security concerns with respect to the leasing arrangements of the Port of Haifa as of the date of the enactment of this Act; and should urge the Government of Israel to consider the security implications of foreign investment in Israel.”