Last week, a self-described rabbi heckled President Biden during a public speech, demanding that he “call for a ceasefire” in the Gaza War (earning herself an interview on National Public Radio). Similar stunts have been organized by the anti-Israel groups like Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and the Jewish anti-Zionist IfNotNow (INN). Seth Mandel comments on the usefulness of such groups to politicians eager to work for the elimination of the Jewish state:

When Representative Pramila Jayapal was on the fence about cosponsoring an anti-Israel ceasefire resolution, INN called her staff with news that dozens of young Jewish activists were on their way to her office and would stage a protest if she didn’t sign on. Soon after, Jayapal agreed to cosponsor it.

This anti-Zionist lovefest has been a long time coming. “There are really amazing organizations of young people, groups like IfNotNow, that they are young Jews organizing for justice because they realize that all of our fates and our destinies are intertwined and that there cannot be justice in Israel without justice for Palestinians too,” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gushed in 2019. Jamaal Bowman and Rashia Tlaib run to JVP and INN any time they need the protection of token Jews.

Nearly all American Jews disagree with JVP and INN’s anti-Zionism. But Ocasio-Cortez & Co. aren’t looking for consensus Jewish opinion, they’re looking for Jewish flak jackets.

On Tuesday, representatives of Hamas met with their counterparts from Fatah—the faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) once led by Yasir Arafat that now governs parts of the West Bank—in Beijing to discuss possible reconciliation. While it is unlikely that these talks will yield any more progress than the many previous rounds, they constitute a significant step in China’s increasing attempts to involve itself in the Middle East on the side of Israel’s enemies.

By contrast, writes Tuvia Gering, Taiwan has been quick and consistent in its condemnations of Hamas and Iran and its expressions of sympathy with Israel:

Support from Taipei goes beyond words. Taiwan’s appointee in Tel Aviv and de-facto ambassador, Abby Lee, has been busy aiding hostage families, adopting the most affected kibbutzim in southern Israel, and volunteering with farmers. Taiwan recently pledged more than half a million dollars to Israel for critical initiatives, including medical and communications supplies for local municipalities. This follows earlier aid from Taiwan to an organization helping Israeli soldiers and families immediately after the October 7 attack.

The reasons why are not hard to fathom:

In many ways, Taiwan sees a reflection of itself in Israel—two vibrant democracies facing threats from hostile neighbors. Both nations wield substantial economic and technological prowess, and both heavily depend on U.S. military exports and diplomacy. Taipei also sees Israel as a “role model” for what Taiwan should aspire to be, citing its unwavering determination and capabilities to defend itself.

On a deeper level, Taiwanese leaders seem to view Israel’s war with Hamas and Iran as an extension of a greater struggle between democracy and autocracy.

Gering urges Israel to reciprocate these expressions of friendship and to take into account that “China has been going above and beyond to demonize the Jewish state in international forums.” Above all, he writes, Jerusalem should “take a firmer stance against China’s support for Hamas and Iran-backed terrorism, exposing the hypocrisy and repression that underpin its vision for a new global order.”