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Israel's elections this week could usher in a new government and create an opening for some sort of thaw with China. But even with a new government in place, a strategic reset in ties would be difficult to achieve. The relationship is shaped by competing interests that have little to do with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself: US pressure on Israel to limit Chinese involvement in certain sectors, Beijing's relationship with Tehran and a political rift that has deepened over several years.

With no clear path for a parliamentary majority for either Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc or opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s camp, Israel is facing a political deadlock, with a potentially lengthy coalition-building process ahead and the possibility of another election.

For China, the question is whether new leadership could improve ties with a country that remains economically important but has become a harder diplomatic partner, partly because of Beijing’s close relationship with Tehran, its tech rivalry with the US and tensions over Israel's years-long campaign in Gaza.