On the morning of April 15, President Tsai Ing-wen met with a delegation from the Israeli Knesset (parliament). In remarks, President Tsai stated that bilateral interactions between Taiwan and Israel have recently been very close. The president indicated that in addition to regular dialogues in such areas as energy, the environment, and the economy, Taiwan and Israel have signed agreements to strengthen exchanges in education, public health, and other domains. President Tsai stated that she looks forward to Taiwan and Israel leveraging our industrial strengths and continuing to deepen our partnership, based on our shared values of freedom and democracy, to jointly build more resilient global supply chains. In their discussion, President Tsai expressed her sincere concern and sympathy to the delegation following the recent attack on Israel by Iran, and condemned the use of violence to undermine global peace and stability.

A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:

I warmly welcome Chair Boaz Toporovsky, who is leading a cross-party delegation of parliamentarians to Taiwan for the first time since becoming chair of the Knesset Taiwan friendship group. I want to thank you all for demonstrating your support for Taiwan by being here.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to Chair Toporovsky. You have not only actively promoted cooperation on youth education and humanitarian aid between Taiwan and Israel, but also consistently supported Taiwan's international participation on social media and in op-eds.

Taiwan and Israel mutually established representative offices over 30 years ago. With your support, bilateral interactions have recently been very close. In addition to regular dialogues in such areas as energy, the environment, and the economy, we have signed 33 agreements to strengthen exchanges in education, public health, and other domains. Just last month, Taiwan and Israel signed a joint declaration on tourism cooperation to further deepen our partnership and jointly promote the development of the tourism industry.

Israel is also an important global hub for startups. Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute, Asia Silicon Valley Development Agency, and major manufacturers are all eager to explore opportunities to further cooperate with Israel. I look forward to Taiwan and Israel leveraging our industrial strengths and continuing to deepen our partnership, based on our shared values of freedom and democracy, to jointly build more resilient global supply chains.

I am confident that this visit will give you a deeper understanding of Taiwan and lead to more exchanges and cooperation in fields such as semiconductors, innovation, and trade. In closing, I wish you all a successful and fruitful trip.

Chair Toporovsky then delivered remarks, first thanking President Tsai for hosting his delegation in the beautiful country of Taiwan. He stated that Taiwan is a beacon of democratic and liberal values, and that President Tsai is a beacon of democratic and liberal leadership. The chair then stated that Israel pays condolences for the loss of life and injuries after the earthquake in eastern Taiwan, noting that the Taiwanese showed the world once again their resilience and strength.

Chair Toporovsky indicated that the Israeli people are in difficult times, and that there is a grave threat to the democratic and liberal world. On April 14, he stated, Israel was attacked by Iran, and more than 300 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles were fired towards Israel, with most of them intercepted by their defense forces. The chair emphasized that Israel will not give anyone who wants to destroy Israel the ability to do so.

Chair Toporovsky went on to say that during these horrible times, Israel saw and will always remember Taiwan's support after the attack on Israel on October 7 last year, as well as the previous day's attack. He said that Taiwan and Israel are good friends, and that Taiwanese and Israelis have much in common as small but strong democracies in a harsh environment. The chair said it is time that our friendship became even stronger, and that we collaborated in more and more fields. Together, he said, we will build a better future for our children.

The delegation also included members of the Knesset Boaz Bismuth, Vladimir Beliak, and Matti Sarfatti-Harcavi, and was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Representative of the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei Maya Yaron.