My Take | Taiwan donation vow to Israeli settlement is cynical and foolish
Fulfilling the pledge would be a violation of international law, as Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank is universally recognised as illegal
The cynicism is breathtaking. Or maybe it’s just foolishness. With Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te and his minions at the Democratic Progressive Party, it’s often hard to tell.
At least 964 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed between the start of the Gaza war in October 2023 and the middle of this month. About 1,400 Palestinian homes have either been demolished or face being torn down, according to the UN Human Rights Office.
But rest assured the health project won’t be serving Palestinians, nor has there been any pretence that it would.
Now, Israel doesn’t need the donation. The GDP per capita of Taiwan and that of Israel are comparable, with the island’s only slightly higher. Couldn’t Taiwan at least donate to some project inside Israel proper, and thus avoid any controversy? But that would be a waste of time for Israel. The whole point, of course, is to make Taipei donate inside the illegal military occupation! Why? Because the donation, if and when it is made, would be interpreted as Taiwan’s tacit endorsement of the illegal Israeli occupation.
However, it would also be a direct breach of international law. The Israeli military occupation is universally recognised as illegal. A year ago, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion stating that all states must prevent trade and investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the unlawful occupation by Israel.