Israel’s Involvement in Taiwan’s Defense

Abstract

Divided into three parts, this chapter deals with the Israel-Taiwan diplomatic dead-end resulting from bilateral refusal to establish official relations. This absence of official relations did not prevent the two parties from engaging in military relations. Taiwan decided to acquire Israeli defense technology of two types: non-conventional and conventional. In the second section, the chapter discusses the contribution of Professor Ernst David Bergmann to Taiwan’s military nuclear program – based on Israel’s experience and the Dimona reactor. Despite its rejection of official relations with Israel (and Israel’s reluctance), Taiwan adopted Bergmann’s suggestions and sent delegations of scientists and students to Israel. In its third section, the chapter deals with Israeli conventional arms and military technology transfers to Taiwan, including missiles of various types, vessels, and light weapons. Later, Taiwan was also given access to Israeli satellites. Paradoxically, this military cooperation with Taiwan had been one of the reasons that prompted Beijing to form military, and then diplomatic, relations with Israel – and ultimately, to force Israel to stop its military relations with Taiwan.