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Israeli lawmaker presses for deeper ties with Taiwan

MK Ohad Tal warns of the China–Iran–North Korea–Russia axis as he meets Taiwan’s vice president and senior officials.

Knesset member Ohad Tal meets with Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung in Taipei. Credit: Courtesy of Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry.
Knesset member Ohad Tal meets with Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung in Taipei. Credit: Courtesy of Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry.

Lawmaker Ohad Tal, co-chair of the Knesset Caucus for Strengthening Relations With Indo-Pacific Countries, held meetings with senior Taiwanese officials this past week, during his second visit to the island democracy in the past year.

Tal met with Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao; Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung; Roy Chun Lee, deputy director-general of the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, one of Asia’s leading economic think tanks; and other senior officials.

The meetings focused on expanding cooperation between Israel and Taiwan in economics, research, technology and innovation, as well as broadening political and civilian collaboration.

“The axis of China, Iran, North Korea and Russia threatens global stability and poses significant challenges to countries seeking to preserve freedom, stability and prosperity,” Tal told JNS.

“Israel and Taiwan share deep common values and many mutual interests, and we must work together to create new alliances that will form a strong and meaningful alternative, reduce dependence on unstable actors and strengthen our independence and sovereignty,” he said.

Tal said he would continue working to strengthen ties between the two peoples “in every possible framework.”

In May, the Religious Zionism Party member led a cross-party delegation of Israeli lawmakers to Taiwan, meeting with Hsiao and top officials in a landmark diplomatic mission aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation.

Joshua Marks is a news editor on the Jerusalem desk at JNS.org, where he covers Jewish affairs, the Middle East and global news.
Amelie Botbol is a diplomatic correspondent for JNS. Originally from Casablanca, Morocco, she made aliyah in 2014. Her reporting focuses on major international developments and the Israeli political arena, including weekly coverage from the Knesset. She also produced one of the world’s most extensive bodies of reporting on Israel’s hostage crisis following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attacks.
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