Foreign Minister Lin Chia–lung (林佳龍) said he hopes to lead a delegation to Israel when the Middle East situation stabilizes, aiming to deepen bilateral ties through what he called “comprehensive diplomacy.” 

Lin made the remarks on social media as a cross-party Israeli Knesset delegation, led by former speaker Mickey Levy, visited Taiwan. The group also includes Israel-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group Chair Boaz Toporovsky and lawmaker Ron Katz. Lin accompanied President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) in meeting the delegation at the Presidential Office on Tuesday.

Lin noted that visits by Israeli government and parliamentary officials to Taiwan increased by 50% last year, with growing business and tourism exchanges. He said future cooperation could expand in startups, supply chain resilience, agriculture, healthcare, and academia. 

Recalling past exchanges, Lin said he and the president had attended the International Mayors Conference in Israel when they served as mayors. He additionally referenced a 2018 visit when he signed a sister-city agreement with Petah Tikva, where Katz was then deputy mayor.

Lin also noted that Toporovsky launched a cross-party petition in the Knesset last July backing Taiwan’s international participation, with Levy the first to support it. President Lai thanked them at the time, noting that they share democratic and freedom values despite geographic distance. 

Lin emphasized mutual learning in resilience, security, and technology. He highlighted Israel as a “start-up nation” and Taiwan’s push towards an “AI island,” calling the two economies complementary. Taiwan plans to expand cooperation through platforms such as the Global Cooperation and Training Framework.