In many passages, the New Testament excoriates the Pharisees (a Second Temple-era Jewish sect) as “hypocrites,” a charge that numerous later Christian authors leveled against Jews, and that early Protestants like Martin Luther leveled against the Catholic Church. Shlomo Zuckier suggests that a talmudic anecdote in Tractate Sotah is intended as rebuttal against the accusation:

While the rabbis do not often betray a direct knowledge of Christian sources, and do not utilize the Greek word hypokritai, [this] talmudic passage seems to represent a rabbinic response to this New Testament trope; . . . it describes certain impious dissemblers as ts’vu’in, literally “colored” one of the terms that roughly stands in for the term “hypocrite.”

[The term] points to someone who in truth is a sinner, but who represents himself as a saint, and moreover seeks reward for his purported good deeds. The inconsistency between integral behavior and public comportment, the “painting over” of a sullied soul, as well as the focus on public recognition and honor, fit the Gospel writers’ description of the Pharisaic hypocrites.

This teaching in some ways validates the . . . Gospels’ critique, arguing that there are those who present themselves as righteous Pharisees but in truth are sinners. At the same time, however, this teaching asserts that those performative Jews are no true Pharisees, but are actually ts’vu’in, hypocrites dressing themselves up as righteous and hijacking the Pharisees’ deserved good reputation.

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.”