Seeing the war in Gaza as part of a “civil war” within the Islamic world, Aryeh Tepper stresses Hamas’s origins in the Muslim Brotherhood, whose ideology rests on claims that render most Arab states illegitimate. Hamas today aligns itself with the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose Shiite founders drew deeply on the writings of the Brotherhood’s Sunni theorists. On the other side are what Tepper calls the “anti-Islamist league” of Morocco, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt, whose foreign ministers gathered in Israel for a summit last year. This group now finds itself on the defensive:

For the foreseeable future, the tolerant camp faces its own internal fissures and challenges. In Morocco, the left and the Islamists are marching for Gaza and publicly embarrassing the monarchy. In the UAE, ties to Israel were conditioned from the beginning on the appearance of a Palestinian diplomatic horizon, while Sultan bin Muhammad al-Qasimi, the ruler of the emirate of Sharjah, [one of the country’s seven confederates], is known to have Islamist sympathies. Bahrain’s Prince Salman publicly condemned Hamas’s barbarism on two occasions, but memories remain from the 2011 Islamist winter, [i.e., the aftermath of the Arab Spring], when demonstrators from the country’s Shiite majority demanded the downfall of the monarchy. As for Egypt, refugees are massing at Gaza’s Rafah border crossing, and Cairo has been clear that their flight into Northern Sinai will lead to a disruption of relations with Israel.

One thing can be said with confidence in this dynamic geopolitical mix: the Islamists must not be allowed to appear victorious. A Hamas victory, which in the present case means holding on to control of Gaza no matter the material and human price, . . . will inspire Islamists (and post-colonialists) around the world and attract new recruits to the cause. Israel’s victory, however, will demonstrate that resistance is futile. For the sake of its own survival, and for the sake of a humane, pluralist future in the Middle East and North Africa, Israel must annihilate Hamas.

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.”