JERUSALEM—Israeli lawmakers over the past two weeks covertly held a series of meetings with senior Taiwanese officials, seeking to strengthen bilateral cooperation and counter the growing menace of China.
Ohad Tal, a member of the governing Religious Zionism party and the Knesset’s powerful Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, met in Taipei between Sunday and Wednesday with Taiwan’s vice president, Hsiao Bi-khim; foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung; and other top diplomats. Last Tuesday, Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister, Francois Wu, led a delegation to Jerusalem, where he huddled with Israeli officials.
According to Tal, the talks had U.S. support and focused on "expanding cooperation with Taiwan in terms of security, economics, and all aspects of social resilience." He said the larger goal was to "create a new alliance that will counter the Chinese axis of evil"—China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea—which is "growing its influence and trying to take dominance from America."
"Israel and Taiwan are on the frontline of the same struggle," Tal told the Washington Free Beacon by phone from Taipei on Wednesday. "We’re really fighting and up against the same threats and the same forces."
The meetings are the latest signs of deepening ties between Israel and Taiwan.
Several Knesset delegations made trips to Taipei during Israel's two-plus-year war with Iran and its terrorist affiliates. Taiwanese officials, meanwhile, praised Israel's self-defense against larger forces as a model for their country. Taiwan’s deputy defense minister reportedly secretly visited Jerusalem in September to advance his country’s development of T-Dome, an air defense system modeled on Israel’s Iron Dome.
This month’s talks were also kept under wraps in deference to Beijing, which fiercely opposes official exchanges with Taiwan and claims the democratic country as part of its own territory. Like most countries, Israel does not formally recognize Taiwan. Tal’s trip has not previously been reported, and Reuters on Wednesday first reported on Wu’s visit without providing details.
Israel and Taiwan’s foreign ministries did not respond to requests for comment.
Tal, the co-chair along with Biton of the Knesset’s recently formed Caucus for Strengthening Relations With Indo-Pacific Countries, said he hoped to push Israel to more openly align with Taiwan and other countries threatened by China.
"As much as we [Israelis] expect the world to support us, I think we should also help and support them," Tal said. "This is what we are trying to do."
David Woo, an American economist and geopolitical analyst who lives in Jerusalem, said Israel and Taiwan are natural partners for cooperation on arms production. With Israel contributing weapons technology and Taiwan contributing its manufacturing expertise, he said, both countries could reduce their reliance on U.S.-made munitions, such as the Arrow interceptors that ran dangerously low during Iran’s bombardment of Israeli cities in June.
"Israel doesn't manufacture s—t here, and therefore a partnership with Taiwan would be absolutely amazing," he told the Free Beacon. "We’re talking about precision manufacturing."
As to whether Israel and Taiwan were working toward an arms deal, Tal demurred, saying, "Let’s keep some things in the room."
