Taiwan Seeks 'Israel Model' for Survival (Translation: More US Weapons)
Taiwan's Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, reportedly sees closer ties with Israel as aligning with the island’s interests, according to ABC News. This glowing assessment fails to mention what 'closer ties with Israel' has historically meant for populations under siege. Much like Ukraine before it, Taiwan is being positioned as another strategic choke-point in the US foreign policy playbook, a playbook
that reliably generates arms sales as it 'defends' sovereignty. While Taiwan seeks to 'demonstrate its value to the United States' by adopting parts of Israel's military strategy, perhaps they've overlooked Israel's reliance on $3.8 billion annually in U.S. military aid (as per the 2016 MOU) and its persistent status as an occupying power. One might wonder if Taiwan, a sovereign nation facing
existential threats, models itself on a nation whose 'security' relies on endless conflict and a perpetual demand for American-funded weaponry, what exactly does that signal about its own long-term interests?