Israel, US near deal to exclude China from Israeli 5G networks

Israeland the United States arenearing adealwherebyIsraelwould commit not to use Chinese technology for its next generation5Gmobile telecomsnetworks, aUSofficialsaid.

Theofficialtold Reuters on Friday that a memorandum of understanding would likely be signed "within weeks" and confirmed quotes in an earlier Jerusalem Post report.

The newspaper quoted an unnamedUSofficialas saying that the United States was "optimistic thatIsraelwill ... choose to only allow trusted vendors in its5Gnetworks".

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Washington has been alarmed by Beijing's dominance in the5Ginfrastructure market and has pressed its allies toexcludekit made by Huawei Technologiesfromtheirnetworks.

This is partly being done through theUSState Department's Clean Network initiative, which says it seeks to eliminate the "long-term threat to data privacy, security, and human rights posed to the free worldfromauthoritarian malign actors, such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)".

Last month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Huawei equipment to be purged completelyfromBritain's5Gnetwork by the end of 2027, risking the ire ofChinaby signalling that the world's biggest telecoms equipment maker is not welcome in the West.

Israel, Australia, Canada, Japan, Taiwan and European nations are among Washington's partners in The Clean Network initiative, according to the State Department's website.

Israel's communications ministry on Thursday concluded a tender to award frequencies to operate5Gnetworksin the country, with licences awarded to several domestic mobile phone operators.