On October 13, Israel and Indonesia had planned to announce the opening of trade offices in each other’s countries as a step in the direction of full diplomatic relations. The announcement was postponed indefinitely after the Hamas attacks, which have left the world’s largest Muslim-majority country skittish about ties with the Jewish state. At the same time, dealings between Jerusalem and Jakarta changed their focus to the more urgent issue of getting Indonesian citizens—including two influential social-media personalities dedicated to exposing Israel’s supposed mistreatment of Palestinians—out of the Gaza Strip. Lahav Harkov reports:

Muhammad Husein, the founder of the NGO International Networking for Humanitarian, who runs a YouTube channel called “Muhammad Husein Gaza” with over 1.2 million followers, . . . sought to leave Gaza with his wife and two children, ages nine and four. Another three volunteers at the NGO-run Indonesian Hospital in Gaza were on the list, though they decided to stay.

Husein claimed on YouTube that “Israel wants to drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza. It comes from the mouths of people who have the DNA of genocide perpetrators,” he said of the people who were working to rescue him.

Eventually Husein made it out via Egypt, thanks to Israel’s intense behind-the-scenes efforts, as did several other Indonesian citizens. Harkov continues:

The IDF [later] raided the Indonesian Hospital, finding Hamas tunnels, weapons, and a hostage’s car on the premises. The Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi condemned the operation as “a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” taking part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration attended by 100,000 in Jakarta that day.

Indonesia joined South Africa’s suit at the International Court of Justice in January, claiming Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians—even though Jakarta is not a party to the 1948 Geneva Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. . . . Despite the rhetoric against Israel from Jakarta, there have been new indications of a possible warming of ties in recent weeks.

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.”