Ten Israeli lawmakers attend Taiwan National Day celebration amid increasing tensions with China

Ten members of the Knesset (MKs) attended a celebration of Taiwan’s National Day on Tuesday, Ynet News reported, amid rising tensions between Israel and Taiwan’s largest security threat, China.

The mainland People's Republic of China views Taiwan, which officially calls itself the Republic of China, as part of its territory and has threatened to invade and annex the island.

While China is increasingly hostile toward Israel, Taiwan has been among the most friendly nations toward the Jewish State.

On Tuesday, ten lawmakers led by Yesh Atid MK Boaz Toporovsky, who was recently threatened by the Chinese embassy, attended a reception hosted by the Taiwanese representative office in Jerusalem.

The lawmakers consciously decided to attend the Taiwanese even instead of an event held by the Chinese Embassy at the same time, which was attended by Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar.

טייוואן - חברת אמת של מדינת ישראל 🇹🇼 🇮🇱

נפגשתי היום בראש משלחת של הכנסת עם נשיא טייוואן לאי צ'ינגדה.

טייוואן היא חברת אמת של ישראל, שתמכה ותומכת באזרחי ישראל, מאז ה־7 באוקטובר ועד היום, אשר אף מימנה הקמת מרכז חוסן ימי בפלמחים שטיפל כבר בלמעלה מאלף נפגעי ה-7 באוקטובר ובני… pic.twitter.com/uiTL6UDyay

— 🟠Boaz Toporovsky- בועז טופורובסקי (@BToporovsky) September 16, 2025

Earlier this month, Toporovsky, who chairs the Israel–Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, led a Knesset delegation to Taipei together with MK Ohad Tal (Religious Zionism).

It met with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te and presented him with a declaration signed by 72 MKs calling to increase Taiwan’s integration into international forums.

Toporovsky thanked Lai for his country’s support of Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, invasion and massacre: “Taiwan is a true friend of Israel and the Israeli people,” he said. “At a time when many countries are abandoning Israel, it is our duty to remember who our real friends are and to stand with them as they stand with us.”

Pleased to welcome the @KnessetENG delegation led by @BToporovsky, whose strong support for #Taiwan’s global participation we deeply value. We look forward to working with #Israel on semiconductors, AI, & emerging defense tech to boost innovation & supply chain resilience. pic.twitter.com/hMrjEmkc51

— 賴清德Lai Ching-te (@ChingteLai) September 16, 2025

This triggered a furious response by the Chinese embassy to Israel, blasting Toporovsky for his “erroneous remarks” that harmed bilateral ties.

“There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory,” the statement said. “The government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing all of China.”

The embassy particularly objected to Toporovsky addressing Lai as “president,” claiming his political credibility was “completely eroded” and that he “is not qualified to represent others.”

“We rebuke this MK and call on him not to delude himself into thinking he can harm China’s core interests and the national sentiments of the Chinese people without paying a price. If he is not restrained, he will fall and shatter into pieces on the edge of the abyss,” the statement ended.

Tensions with China have risen since Oct. 7, as it has sided with the nations criticizing Israel for its conduct in the Gaza War. The Communist government has also developed close ties with the Iranian regime.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. lawmakers that “Qatar and China are two countries imposing a blockade on us in terms of legitimacy – through new media and social networks.”

The Chinese Embassy denied the claim, saying it was “groundless, undermines China-Israel relations, and is something that China is deeply concerned about and firmly opposed to.”

“By blaming the criticism on certain social media platforms and then pointing fingers at China, the Israeli side is like a patient desperately turning to any doctor, targeting the wrong source and, worse yet, being given the wrong prescription.”

In July, Ya-Ping (Abby) Lee, Taiwan’s Representative in Israel, made a historic visit to the Binyamin region in Samaria, after Taiwan became the first foreign nation to directly support a Jewish community in Judea and Samaria through a donation to the Nanasi Medical Center in Sha’ar Binyamin north of Jerusalem.

In a recent interview with the Rosenberg Report, Lee said that “The people of Israel know that Taiwan and Israel are standing on the front line to defend the expansion of authoritarian regimes, of totalitarianism and terrorism.”

“When those axes of evil – Russia, Iran, China, North Korea are increasing their alignment. We see China imports [sells] a lot of components, weapons to rivals in the Middle East, to Iran. And they purchase almost all the black-market oil from Iran.”

She continued, “It is really worrisome to see that the CCP, the communist China government, are testing their weaponry in the European theater [and] in the Middle East theater. This once again reflects our statement that China's strategic ambition is not just Taiwan. Its ambition is beyond Taiwan. The ultimate goal for communist China is to disrupt the current rules-based international order, which serves all humanity.”