The following is a transcript of the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Israel responding to a journalist’s question regarding a Taiwan-related statement initiated by certain Israeli lawmakers.

Journalist: On July 24, multiple members of the Israeli Knesset jointly signed a statement calling for support for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). What is the Embassy’s comment on this?

The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Israel: This is yet another example of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan resorting to all means possible to buy support for their separatist movement on the international stage. The fact that certain Israeli lawmakers have taken the lead in supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations that are open only to sovereign states is a blatant challenge to the one-China principle. The Chinese Embassy in Israel firmly opposes this and has lodged a solemn representation with the Israeli side.

There is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inseparable part of China’s territory, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing all of China. This is the core essence of the One-China principle. Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and agreements within the framework of the United Nations must and can only be handled in accordance with the One-China principle. Since the Democratic Progressive Party authorities took office in Taiwan, they have stubbornly upheld the separatist stance and refused to acknowledge the One-China principle, resulting in the political basis for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization activities no longer existing.

A few individual Israeli legislators took the lead in drafting such a statement. We cannot help but ask: Do they truly understand what it means for the Taiwan authorities to join the international organizations they mentioned? The Taiwan authorities are vigorously trying to expand their so-called “international space,” which in reality is an attempt to promote separatism and create the notion of “one China, one Taiwan” or “two Chinas.” The Democratic Progressive Party authorities stubbornly insist on the separatist stance, continuously provoke separatist acts, aggressively promote the separatist rhetoric, and incite cross-Strait antagonism and confrontation. This is the root cause of the current tense and unstable situation in the Taiwan Strait. If a few Israeli legislators support Taiwan standing on equal footing with sovereign countries on the international stage, does that mean they want to be closely tied with the Taiwan separatists in dividing China? Are they intending to become accomplices in undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait?

We cannot help but ask: What kind of influence have these individual Israeli legislators been under? What hidden motives do they have? The Yesh Atid party Boaz Toporovsky  and the Religious Zionism party leader Ohad Tal, who took the lead in drafting this statement, respectively visited Taiwan this year, meeting with the so-called “Vice President” and “Foreign Minister” of Taiwan. After returning, they began openly referring to Taiwan as a “country” on social media in their sycophantic exchanges with their Taiwanese counterparts. In their official statement, they claim that Israel adheres to the One-China policy, but in reality, but their actions contradict this policy—this is sheer self-deception. What exactly are they trying to hide from the Israeli public? And what lies did they use to deceive other legislators into co-signing this statement?

We also cannot help but ask: Where exactly do these individual Israeli legislators want to steer China-Israel relations? They repeatedly claim that Israel and Taiwan share common values of human rights and democracy, but the fact is that the Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan have been conducting “green terror” on the island—cracking down on and persecuting opposition forces as well as people who support peaceful cross-Strait relations and exchanges. Where is the freedom and democracy they talk about? Does Israel really intend to stand with the Taiwan authorities? We advise these individual Israeli legislators to open their eyes to global trends and the tide of history. How many countries recognize the so-called “democracy versus authoritarianism” narrative spread by the Taiwan authorities? Such blatant support for Taiwan separatists is clearly not Israel’s official policy toward China, nor the original intention of Israeli voters when electing these legislators.

The Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests and concerns the national feelings of 1.4 billion Chinese people. No one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will, and powerful capability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We advise these individual Israeli legislators to stand on the right side of history and do more practical and beneficial things for China-Israel relations and the Israeli people, rather than the opposite.

Editor: Zhiyu Wang