Israel Society

By Pesach Benson • July 7, 2025

Jerusalem, 7 July, 2025 (TPS-IL) — In a historic first, Taiwan has pledged financial support for a new medical center in Israel’s Binyamin region, becoming the first foreign nation to donate toward the development of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. The announcement came during a Sunday visit to the region by Taiwan’s representative in Israel, Abby Ya-Ping Lee.

“Medical cooperation has been one of the central areas of collaboration between Taiwan and Israel in recent decades,” said Lee. “We are pleased to expand this cooperation to the regional level, through initial work with a regional council to save lives and to ensure the right to health regardless of ethnicity, age, or gender. Taiwan and Israel are neighbors in values and partners in challenging times.”

The visit included a tour of the Nanasi Medical Center construction site in Sha’ar Binyamin, where advanced work is already underway. The delegation participated in a cornerstone-laying ceremony for one of the facility’s units. She was joined by MK Ohad Tal and Israel Ganz, who is chairman of both the Yesha Council and the Binyamin Region Council. The Yesha Council is an umbrella organization for all the communities in Judea and Samaria, representing the interests of around 500,000 Israelis.

Over 86,000 Israelis live in the Binyamin Regional Council’s 47 communities.

“This is a moment of profound moral and historical significance,” said Tal, chairman of the Religious Zionism faction and co-chair of the Knesset Indo-Pacific Caucus. “For the first time, a foreign country is extending a hand in support of the communities in Judea and Samaria — not through words, but through action. Taiwan’s generous donation will help save lives and serve tens of thousands of Israeli citizens. It also sends a clear message: our communities are not isolated — they are recognized, respected, and embraced by our friends around the world.”

During the visit, the delegation also toured the Binyamin Regional Council’s emergency operations center, where they received a briefing on the council’s municipal emergency response protocols used during the recent war. Representative Lee expressed particular interest in local emergency management and public safety systems.

The partnership was formalized with the signing of a joint declaration by Lee, Tal, and Ganz, reaffirming their shared commitment to friendly relations and to the establishment of the medical center.

Ganz welcomed Taiwan’s support as a milestone for international recognition of Jewish communities in the area.

“In recent times, we are witnessing increasing recognition from countries around the world of the presence of the State of Israel and the Jewish people in Judea and Samaria,” said Ganz. “A heartfelt thank-you to Taiwan for this historic and important support for Binyamin and the Judea and Samaria communities. This donation is of immeasurable importance and expands international recognition. The contribution to the new medical center being established in Binyamin is a symbol of the deep partnership forged today.”

The visit follows a May delegation led by MK Tal to Taiwan, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation through the Indo-Pacific Caucus. Sunday’s visit marked a significant step in translating that dialogue into tangible support for local Israeli infrastructure.