https://www.scmp.com/rss/510642/feed Jordyn Haime is a freelance journalist based in Taipei, Taiwan writing about Taiwanese democracy and society and Jewish affairs in Asia. Her work has appeared in The China Project, Al Jazeera, Haaretz, The Jewish Telegraphic Agency and more. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jordyn Haime Jordyn Haime Taiwan’s recent pledge to donate to an Israeli settlement health project in the West Bank has broken international norms of engagement with Israel’s occupation and could backfire, experts say. Abby Ya-Ping Lee, Taiwan’s representative to Israel, made the donation pledge this month during a visit to the Binyamin Regional Council, which governs 48 settler communities in the occupied West Bank. She was accompanied by Israel Ganz, chairman of the Binyamin Regional Council and the Yesha Council, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3318820/could-taiwans-donation-pledge-israeli-settlement-project-backfire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3318820/could-taiwans-donation-pledge-israeli-settlement-project-backfire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 04:00:10 +0000 The Israeli campus of China’s University of Business and Economics says it will suspend new student enrolments this autumn due to difficulties posed by the ongoing Gaza war. UIBE-Israel is the only Chinese satellite campus in Israel. Members of its Chinese faculty, who make up nearly half of the teaching staff, have been unable to travel to Israel as it remains at war with Hamas and faces a burgeoning regional conflict. “Our licence requires us to have a substantial amount of faculty members... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274259/israeli-campus-chinas-uibe-suspend-new-student-enrolments-due-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274259/israeli-campus-chinas-uibe-suspend-new-student-enrolments-due-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Aug 2024 04:00:20 +0000 Two pro-Palestine protesters in Taiwan say they are pressing charges against attendees of a pro-Israel concert, accusing them of physical assault and criminal threatening, as well as obstruction of freedom, as tensions grow on the island between supporters of the two camps. Tensions erupted at the Love Is Real concert in Taipei’s Da’an Park on Saturday evening after protesters approached the event carrying Palestinian flags and anti-war banners. Videos from the event show members of the crowd... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3263674/taiwan-clash-pro-israel-concert-highlights-growing-divisions-over-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3263674/taiwan-clash-pro-israel-concert-highlights-growing-divisions-over-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2024 10:53:36 +0000 As tensions in the Middle East escalated amid the Israel-Gaza war, an Israeli parliamentary delegation visited Taiwan last week in a show of warming ties with Taipei. The cross-party delegation, led by chairman of the Knesset’s Israel-Taiwan friendship association, Boaz Toporovsky, met government officials and legislators throughout the trip, including Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, vice-president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim and Legislative Yuan speaker Han Kuo-yu. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3259932/mideast-conflict-israeli-delegation-visits-taiwan-show-commitment-ties-war-continues-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3259932/mideast-conflict-israeli-delegation-visits-taiwan-show-commitment-ties-war-continues-home?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Apr 2024 04:31:11 +0000 Since Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza last October, many of its international relationships have fallen into decline. Even the United States’ unconditional support of Israel is beginning to show its cracks. But Taiwan, under military pressure from Beijing and eager for international partners, has seen the war as an opportunity to learn from Israel’s defence strategies and advance bilateral ties, despite a lack of formal diplomatic relations. Taiwan was one of the first governments... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3258086/israels-foreign-ties-falter-amid-war-gaza-taiwan-sees-chance-cosy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3258086/israels-foreign-ties-falter-amid-war-gaza-taiwan-sees-chance-cosy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Apr 2024 07:00:16 +0000 Ten years ago, protests against a free trade deal with mainland China sparked one of Taiwan’s biggest popular movements, significantly reshaping the landscape of civil society, politics and public opinion in the self-ruled island. The “Sunflower Movement”, which intensified Taiwanese scepticism of Beijing’s intentions, surprised many with its energy. However, hopes of channelling what remains of the immense support of a decade ago into January’s elections were dashed. An alliance of six young... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3256432/10-years-taiwans-sunflower-movement-has-wilted-its-legacy-lingers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3256432/10-years-taiwans-sunflower-movement-has-wilted-its-legacy-lingers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Mar 2024 22:00:31 +0000 Han Kuo-yu, Taiwan’s new legislative speaker from the mainland-friendly Kuomintang (KMT), is expected to take up the helm as chairman of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD), an entity sanctioned by Beijing. The non-profit, government-funded organisation plays a key role in Taiwan’s engagement with the world. Its stated goals are to build partnerships with civil society groups, think tanks, and non-governmental groups in democratic countries, support democratisation in Asia, and to further... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3253857/mainland-china-friendly-taiwanese-lawmaker-tipped-lead-group-tasked-promoting-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3253857/mainland-china-friendly-taiwanese-lawmaker-tipped-lead-group-tasked-promoting-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Mar 2024 11:00:33 +0000 Israel’s foreign ministry has said China’s recent statements of support for Palestinian self-determination could be interpreted as support for Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7. The Israeli government responded on Monday to China’s comments at an International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing on Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. At the hearing, China’s representative Ma Xinmin cited the United Nations Charter and previous UN resolutions in a statement in support of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3253398/israel-says-chinas-support-palestinian-right-self-defence-may-be-seen-support-october-7-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3253398/israel-says-chinas-support-palestinian-right-self-defence-may-be-seen-support-october-7-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Feb 2024 10:18:06 +0000 When Ko Wen-je announced during an election night rally on January 13 that he would concede defeat in Taiwan’s presidential race, there were many tears in the crowd. Ko, the dark horse third candidate in the contest to lead the self-governed island, had failed to break through Taiwan’s blue-green political establishment. For John Weng, a teacher and campaign volunteer with Ko’s Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), the loss was hard to swallow. “I was very, very disappointed. Because the DPP will be in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3249363/can-ko-wen-jes-tpp-bring-meaningful-change-taiwans-politics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3249363/can-ko-wen-jes-tpp-bring-meaningful-change-taiwans-politics?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jan 2024 10:00:30 +0000 As Taiwan’s elections loom this Saturday, thousands of Taiwanese are returning from around the world to cast their ballots in what many see as a critical vote. There are about 2 million Taiwanese living overseas, according to Taipei’s Overseas Community Affairs Council, with the largest population – about half – living in the United States. Every four years, many of them shell out thousands of dollars to make the journey back to the self-ruled island to exercise their right to vote. Some also go... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3247458/my-responsibility-why-overseas-taiwanese-are-returning-cast-their-votes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3247458/my-responsibility-why-overseas-taiwanese-are-returning-cast-their-votes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jan 2024 12:00:19 +0000 The plight of Noa Argamani – the Israeli hostage with Chinese heritage snatched by Hamas in its bloody raid on Israel more than 80 days ago – has galvanised supporters among Tel Aviv’s tiny Chinese-Israeli community. Around 20 people answered the first call to gather in support of Argamani, 26, who was among the hostages taken by Hamas militants when they stormed the Nova music festival near the Gaza border, killing more than 360 people. Just 10 attended a second demonstration, but while the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3246643/time-running-out-mother-desperate-hug-chinese-israeli-hostage-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3246643/time-running-out-mother-desperate-hug-chinese-israeli-hostage-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Dec 2023 06:00:15 +0000 At a board meeting of the newly formed Taiwan Jewish Community in 1981, then-president Yaacov Liberman brought a matter to the table: a friend from his days back in Shanghai was down on his luck. He was in his mid-70s, didn’t have much money and his health was deteriorating. He needed meals and a safe place to stay. His name was Nathan Rabinovitch, alias Rabin, but sometimes he just used the name “Nat”. The community was able to house Rabin and give him meals at the Jewish centre in Taipei for a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3146577/he-said-he-knew-al-capone-jewish-spy-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3146577/he-said-he-knew-al-capone-jewish-spy-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Aug 2021 01:15:12 +0000