I was scrolling through The Wall Street Journal one morning when a headline froze me in place: "Iran Orders Materials from China, Enough to Make 800 Ballistic Missiles." It wasn't just another news story about Iran's military ambitions. For me, it struck a more resounding chord. Just days earlier, I had returned from Israel. It was my first time in the country, where I had attended an Exigent Foundation delegation led by Larry Maher. I had walked its contested borders, spoken with families who live in the shadow of rocket fire, and met soldiers who must stay alert every minute of every day. And yet, even after all that, I realized something essential was missing from how the world talks about Israel's security. 

The real threat to peace in the Middle East is not just Hamas, Hezbollah, or any single terrorist group. It is the global infrastructure that supports them: an axis of autocracy led by Iran, Russia, and China. Unless this is addressed, no amount of Israeli firepower will ever bring lasting peace. 

In northern Israel, near the Lebanese border, I visited Hanita, a small kibbutz that looked peaceful at first glance. The tranquility was deceptive. Locals showed me homes that had been destroyed by rocket attacks and told me that during peak escalations, air raid sirens could go off six, seven, or even eight times a day. 

Hanita had not only endured repeated rocket fire but also multiple infiltration attempts by Hezbollah. The psychological toll was immense. The devastation forced most residents to flee the town, and many have never returned. What I saw was not just damage to buildings but to the very soul of a community. 

Further north, I stopped by a beautiful Arab township called Ghajar. There, I noticed playgrounds built with reinforced fences, and right beside them stood bomb shelters so that children could run for cover during a rocket attack. The proximity of play and protection said everything. 

What struck me most was not just the vigilance but the normalization of fear. Israelis have adapted to living under threat, but no nation should have to do that forever. During my one-week stay in Israel, the airstrike siren went off at least three times. Each time, people around me did not panic. They paused, looked toward the sky or their phones for updates, and then moved on. That surreal calm unsettled me. I realized it was not courage born from choice but necessity. 

Israel has every right, and even the responsibility, to defend itself. Precision air strikes, missile defence systems, and intelligence operations are essential in neutralizing immediate threats. 

Yet despite this, much of the world continues to question or condemn Israel's military responses. But as the saying goes, you cannot wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep. For those willfully blind to the nature of the threats Israel faces, no amount of facts, sirens, destroyed homes, or concertgoers taken hostage will ever be enough. 

As a Chinese immigrant living in the West, I've also come to observe something encouraging: the majority of the millions of Chinese diaspora living in Canada or the US have not bought into the antisemitic narratives pushed by far-left ideologies. Many of them hold a favorable view of Israel and express a certain degree of support. This stands in sharp contrast to the domestic Chinese population, which has been heavily influenced by state-sponsored anti-Western propaganda. 

However, fighting Hamas in Gaza or Hezbollah in Lebanon only addresses the symptoms. The root cause lies elsewhere: Tehran's ideological ambitions, Beijing's economic support, and Moscow's strategic protection. It became painfully clear to me that Israel's military strength, although formidable, is fighting something like a hydra. Cut off one head, and two more grow back. 

Iran is not just a sponsor of terrorism. It is the strategic center of nearly every armed threat to Israel's existence. According to the United States State Department's Country Reports on Terrorism 2023, Iran continues to provide training, funding, and weapons to proxy groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen. 

These relationships are not secret. The Iranian regime openly justifies its support for what it calls resistance forces against Israel and the West. 

What concerns me even more now is Iran's growing missile capability, now reportedly enhanced by material imports from China. 

And guess where Iran has reportedly looked for inspiration, or even assistance, for its nuclear enrichment ambitions? It's Pakistan, China's closest ally and a major recipient of its financial, military, and strategic support. 

The historical ties between Tehran and Islamabad on nuclear knowledge are no secret to intelligence communities. This development represents not only a direct threat to Israel but a broader destabilization of the regional and global security order. 

Beyond Iran's regional ambitions lies a deeper and more dangerous trend. Russia has provided diplomatic cover for Iran in Syria and at the United Nations. China, meanwhile, has become Tehran's top trade partner, helping Iran bypass Western sanctions through energy deals, infrastructure investments, and now possibly even defense-related materials. 

This axis is not only strategic. It is ideological. All three regimes oppose the liberal democratic order and have a shared interest in seeing Western influence decline. This emerging bloc of authoritarian powers is reshaping the global strategic landscape. 

The Middle East, especially Israel, has become a frontline in a larger geopolitical confrontation. One that bears all the signs of a new Cold War.

To confront these interconnected threats, Israel and its allies must adopt a far more strategic and comprehensive approach. One that goes beyond military tactics and addresses the very framework of international alliances. 

First, Western leaders and global media must accurately define the problem. The threats facing Israel are not random acts of violence. They are coordinated campaigns enabled by state actors that form part of a growing anti-democratic bloc. Iran, China, and Russia are not unrelated issues. They are parts of the same larger puzzle. Identifying and explaining this alignment is the first step in countering it. 

Second, the Abraham Accords must not only be preserved but expanded. More Arab nations, many of whom share deep concerns about Iran's ambitions, should be included in a broader network for security and intelligence cooperation. The threat Iran poses extends far beyond Israel. It threatens the entire region's future. US President Donald Trump's recent visit to the Middle East should be seen in this context. 

At the same time, the international community must show greater resolve in enforcing joint sanctions. Too often, Iranian and Russian procurement networks operate through third countries and front companies, including Chinese firms that play a key role in supplying materials for both civilian and military use. Sanctions should target all enablers, whether state or private, that contribute to the arms buildup aimed at democratic nations. 

And most critically, Israel must reevaluate its relationship with China. For years, Israel worked with Chinese companies and shared advanced technology under the belief that economics should take precedence. But the geopolitical reality of 2025 is very different from that of a decade ago. China's role in helping Iran dodge sanctions, along with reports of its cooperation with Russia's military sector, should trigger urgent concern. Continued engagement with Beijing not only damages Israel's moral standing but also weakens its long-term strategic position. 

To push back, Israel should deepen its ties with key Indo-Pacific partners, especially India, Japan, and Taiwan. Doing so would strengthen its global alliances and send a powerful message: if you support my adversary, I will back yours. 

If Israel hopes to achieve more than just temporary safety but true and lasting peace, it must see itself not only as a fortress in the Middle East but as a key defender of the liberal world order. 

Terence Shen is an independent journalist and social media commentator based in Toronto, Canada. He holds a bachelor's degree in East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto and a master's degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.