Chinese embassy in Israel holds Spring Festival reception

The Chinese Embassy in Israel on Wednesday held a reception to celebrate the Chinese New Year, featuring artistic performances and the display of promotional videos of China Media Group (CMG)'s Spring Festival Gala.

The Spring Festival, which lands on Feb 17 this year, is in the start of the Chinese New Year. This year's Spring Festival marks the beginning of the Year of the Horse -- the seventh of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. The Spring Festival is the grandest traditional holiday for the Chinese people, and watching the Spring Festival Gala on television is a cherished part of the celebrations in hundreds of millions of Chinese homes.

The reception was attended by over 300 guests, including Israeli political and business figures, overseas Chinese, and representatives of Chinese-funded enterprises and Chinese students in Israel.

Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana delivered a video message at the event, extending best wishes to the Chinese people and Chinese communities around the world.

He expressed his wishes for health, happiness, prosperity and peace in the Year of the Horse, along with a joyful and harmonious Spring Festival.

Chinese Ambassador to Israel Xiao Junzheng also addressed the gathering, offering New Year greetings to all guests.

He said that the year 2026 marks the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), which will bring new opportunities for the innovative comprehensive partnership between the two countries, adding that China stands ready to work with friends from all sectors in Israel to elevate bilateral friendship and practical cooperation to new heights.

Speaking to CMG, many Israeli attendees extended their greetings while sharing their impressions of China and expressing hopes for the future of bilateral relations.

Aviv Ezra, deputy director-General for Asia and the Pacific of Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had just concluded a working visit to China one week ago.

At the reception, he expressed being deeply impressed by the country's development and progress.

"And I have to tell you, I've not visited China for almost a decade, and the development and the progress is really amazing. And I wish the Chinese people a happy New Year. A Year of the Horse is a year of energy and speeding forward. So I think that China is definitely going through the right direction in terms of development and progress. And I wish all of our Chinese friends a happy New Year," he said.

Israeli businessman Efi Cohen expressed hope for continued close collaboration between the two countries.

"I wish for the Israeli people and the Chinese people to have good relations and many, many years of good work together. We have a lot of projects. We need your support, your collaboration. Our country is benefiting with these relations. So I wish you a very good New Year," he said.

The event featured a wide range of artistic performances with Chinese characteristics.

Specially arranged displays at the venue, including a Chinese book corner and Year of the Horse-themed decorations, showcased China's natural scenery, development achievements and rich culture, drawing guests into a strong festive atmosphere.

Chinese embassy in Israel holds Spring Festival reception

Iran will never negotiate its missile program with the United States and will vigorously fight and prevail in any conflict initiated by the U.S., said Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a professor of English literature and orientalism at the University of Tehran.

The U.S. has been calling on Iran to curb its missile program over the past months, a demand Tehran has firmly rejected.

On Saturday, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that the country's missile program is "never negotiable."

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Prof. Marandi reiterated that negotiating the missile program is "out of the question" as Iran's military capability is a crucial defense against potential U.S. aggression.

"Negotiating the missile program is a red line. It will not happen today; it will not happen next month, and it will not happen next year. That is out of the question. The Americans would like to see such a thing happen, but it is impossible. What has protected Iran from U.S. aggression is its military capability. We have no illusions about what the United States would do if it could do it. And what prevents it from attacking us is our missile and drone capabilities, which we are going to strengthen rather than pull back on," said Marandi.

Marandi emphasized that while Iran does not seek war and has never initiated conflict with the U.S. or Israel, an attack from the U.S. would lead to a fierce fight for survival, given Iran's strong defenses in the Persian Gulf.

"What Iran has that can be used against the United States is much greater than what it has that can be used against the Israeli regime, because its defenses alongside the Persian Gulf are very enormous and diverse: short-range missiles, medium-range missiles, countless drones, submarines. Everything in the Persian Gulf and on the other side of the Persian Gulf, where the U.S. bases exist, can be easily destroyed. This is not a war that the United States can win. We don't want war, and we have never initiated a conflict, neither with the United States nor with the Israeli regime. But if the United States attacks Iran, it will be a fight for our survival, and we will pull no punches," he said.

The U.S. and Iranian delegations held indirect negotiations on Friday, marking a renewed diplomatic effort amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington in view of the latter's military buildup in the region.

On Saturday, commenting on the negotiations between the two countries that focused solely on Iran's nuclear issue, Araghchi said they were a good "start," but there is a long way ahead to build trust.

Iran never to negotiate missile program with US: professor