In 1944, representatives of the Red Cross visited the Nazis’ Potemkin concentration camp at Theresienstadt and credulously determined that Jews were being treated well. Around the same time, the Dutch branch of the organization cooperated meekly with the German authorities, refusing to bring aid packages to Jewish prisoners. The Red Cross took the same approach more recently in denying requests to try to deliver lifesaving medications to ailing prisoners held by Hamas. Until 2006 the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) would not recognize the Magen David Adom, its Jewish equivalent.

The story gets even worse with the appointment of its new director, Pierre Krahenbuhl. A longtime ICRC employee, Krahenbuhl served as the head of UNRWA—the UN organization tasked with prolonging the Israel-Palestinian conflict—from 2014 to 2019. Seth Mandel writes:

Not coincidentally, [2014] was a watershed year for the organization. Hamas instigated a war that summer by kidnapping and murdering Israelis (sound familiar?). In the middle of that war, UNRWA officials were shocked—shocked!—to find Hamas rockets in one of its schools. Officials condemned it as an aberration. But it was only the beginning. A few days later, it happened again. And then again. After one of the “discoveries,” the rockets were handed over to “local authorities.” That is, Hamas.

Unfortunately they were also a time of scandal. An internal investigation found credible claims of mismanagement and Krahenbuhl stepped down in 2019. After the dust settled, the ICRC took him back, and here we are.

At the ICRC, Krahenbuhl will work with the Red Cross president Mirjana Spoljaric. Two years before Krahenbuhl joined UNRWA, Spoljaric was ending her tour there. The revolving door between UNRWA and the Red Cross . . . isn’t limited to the top jobs, either. . . . It’s no wonder, then, that the Red Cross has been such a mammoth disappointment during this conflict, ignoring the Israeli hostages for long stretches and helping Hamas cover up its use of hospitals for war crimes.

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.”