China is paying a heavy price for its lack of support for Israel – and the big winner is Taiwan, which receives mutual support. In a “cross-party” move, 72 Knesset members signed a declaration calling for Taiwan to be included in international forums – despite the pressures China exerted on some of them and threats of entry bans. “Taiwan is a true friend of Israel,” said the initiator of the declaration.
72 Knesset members from the coalition and opposition today (Thursday) signed a declaration stating: “The systematic and unjustified exclusion of Taiwan from international forums is irresponsible internationally.” The declaration comes in the wake of Taiwan’s consistent support for Israel since the October 7 massacre. “Taiwan is a true friend of Israel, and is not afraid to demonstrate it both in words and deeds,” said MK Boaz Toporovsky – the initiator of the declaration.
MK Ohad Tal, Abby Lee, Taiwan’s representative, and MK Boaz Toporovsky.
MK Boaz Toporovsky from the Yesh Atid party is the chairman of the Israel-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association. MK Ohad Tal from Religious Zionism joined his declaration, and together with 70 Knesset members from all factions (except the Arab ones) they called for Taiwan’s integration into international forums and organizations, with an emphasis on health, transportation, environmental quality, and human rights.
“Taiwan is a vibrant democracy working to promote the values of freedom, equality, human rights, and the rule of law, all in a challenging geopolitical environment. We express strong opposition to the systematic, unjustified, and irresponsible exclusion of Taiwan from organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC), especially in light of Taiwan’s impressive contribution during times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 crisis, during which Taiwan was a global leader in finding solutions and assisting other countries,” the Knesset members’ declaration stated.
The Knesset members further emphasized that support for its participation in international organizations does not contradict the “One China” policy – to which the Israeli government is committed. Rather, the support is an expression of gratitude to Taiwan for its support of Israel, and a practical recognition of Taiwan’s contribution to global welfare. However, despite the clarification, it was learned that some Knesset members reported pressure from China not to sign – including a threat of an entry ban.
In the background, China’s conduct towards Israel has been cold since October 7. China repeatedly chooses to publish condemnations of Israel’s actions in the war, and even refused to act for the release of the hostage Noa Argamani, who was rescued from Gaza. Liora, Noa’s late mother, was Chinese. As a result, China is losing public support in Israel, and conversely – Taiwan is gaining it.
Taiwan, which was among the first countries to express support for Israel and stood by its side without reservations, contributed greatly to strengthening both security and civilian resilience in Israel. Among other things, it donated 1.8 million shekels for the establishment of a satellite communication system that includes devices and a unified emergency command center to strengthen urban security and defense needs in local authorities.
After the Majdal Shams massacre, the Taiwanese government donated 187,000 shekels to promote demobilized soldiers from the Druze community. In addition, it established a rare project in cooperation with Kibbutz Palmachim, in which a maritime resilience farm assists in the rehabilitation of Gaza envelope residents, victims of the October 7 massacre, and their families. And even during the Israel-Iran war, Taiwan donated 1.2 million shekels to victims in Bat Yam and to ZAKA.
The initiator of the declaration, MK Toporovsky, said: “Israel will always remember who stood by its side in its difficult hour. After October 7, Taiwan was among the first to stand by Israel and has continued to support us ever since. It supported Israel in the political arena and promoted aid to victims, worked to establish a resilience center, for health and education, and more. The Knesset members see this, as well as the shared values of human rights and democracy.”
MK Toporovsky further added that he is “proud that most Knesset members expressed their gratitude to Taiwan and their support for its continued positive international involvement,” and called for cooperation from “the business, academic, and public communities in Israel with Taiwan, for whom innovation and progress are a guiding light, and who so desires to deepen cooperation with us.”
MK Ohad Tal also referred to the importance of Taiwan in light of the declaration: “Taiwan is a true friend of Israel and is not afraid to demonstrate it both in words and in deeds.” Israel and Taiwan have many common interests, and it proves its support for Israel anew, time and again and even more so since the beginning of the war." According to him: “This is our opportunity to show our great appreciation for Taiwan and to stand by its side and for our shared prosperity.”
Taiwan’s representative in Israel, Abby Lee, welcomed the initiative: “On behalf of the people and government of Taiwan, I would like to thank you for the cross-party support in the Knesset. The joint declaration is a strengthening testimony not only to your consistent support for democracy, but also to the recognition of Taiwan’s contribution to international affairs and your explicit support for its meaningful participation in international organizations.”
Abby Lee added that “this is an unprecedented and historic step, sending a powerful message not only to the people of Taiwan, but to all democracies in the world – that in times of increasing pressure from authoritarian regimes, democracies must stand together in solidarity and with one voice.” The representative said that the call by the Knesset members is encouraging due to the desire to deepen ties with it in “economic, technological, and interpersonal” fields.
She also said that there is an expectation that relations “will grow, and our friendship will flourish together, based on mutual respect and common interests.” Finally, the representative asked: “to recognize the courage and great heart of the Knesset members who carry the flag of Taiwan not only in this decision – but throughout the years.”
What This Means in Practice#
It is worth being precise about what the declaration is and is not. It is not a change in Israeli foreign policy: the MKs explicitly reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to the “One China” policy. Nor is it binding — a declaration signed by individual members is a political signal, not legislation. What it does is put 72 of the Knesset’s 120 members on record across the coalition–opposition divide, which is unusual for any foreign-policy question and gives the Israel–Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association real cross-party weight.
For the practical relationship, the more telling thread is the concrete aid the post documents — the satellite-communications system, the support for Druze demobilised soldiers after Majdal Shams, the Kibbutz Palmachim maritime resilience farm, the donations after the Bat Yam strikes. These are the kinds of ties that outlast any single declaration, and they have continued since: see our coverage of Taiwan’s ZAKA conference donation, scholarships for Israeli students displaced by missile attacks, and the deepening Israel–Taiwan technology partnership.
Update (May 2026): From Declaration to Delegation#
The July 2025 declaration was not the end of the story. In May 2026 a cross-party Knesset delegation travelled to Taiwan and met President Lai Ching-te, with talks centred on technology, trade, security, resilience, and academic cooperation — the same agenda the declaration had flagged. The delegation included MKs Mickey Levy, Boaz Toporovsky (chair of the friendship association and the original declaration’s initiator), and Ron Katz of Yesh Atid, alongside Yonatan Mishraki of Shas. China issued a sharp rebuke and warned against “crossing red lines,” echoing the pressure the original signatories had reported. The episode shows the parliamentary track moving from a paper declaration to face-to-face engagement — and that Beijing’s objections have not slowed it.
[Original article source: https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/skvmpdjpxg]
May 2026 delegation update verified against JNS, All Israel News, and the Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan).
