China is threatening an Israeli lawmaker with political "obliteration" following a trip to Taiwan last week, warning he'll "be shattered into pieces" for backing the island's independence push.
Member of Knesset Boaz Toporovsky, who heads the Israel-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, traveled to Taipei and met with Taiwan's leader, Lai Ching-te.
He handed Lai a declaration signed by 72 Knesset members urging Taiwan's fuller role in international forums and thanked the island nation for its support of Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack.
The Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv responded to the trip with harsh language, accusing Toporovsky of "seriously" violating the One-China principle and declaring he had become "a troublemaker for the sound development of bilateral ties."
The embassy warned Toporovsky that if he "does not rein in at the brink of the precipice, he will fall and be shattered to pieces."
Toporovsky and his delegation framed the trip as a straightforward outreach to a friend that has publicly backed Israel.
"Taiwan is a true friend of Israel and the Israeli people," Toporovsky said during meetings, according to the delegation.
"At a time when many countries are abandoning Israel, it is our duty to remember who our real friends are and to stand with them as they stand with us," he added.
Beijing's statement stressed that there is "only one China" and blasted any use of the title "president" for Taiwan's leader.
The embassy accused Toporovsky of speaking "on behalf of the Israeli people," which it claimed violated Israel's commitments under the China-Israel joint communique.
The post tied its ire to broader historical claims, marking what it called anniversaries connected to Taiwan's post-World War II status and warning against "Taiwan independence" as a threat to China's sovereignty.
The tenor of the message — specifically the threat that Toporovsky would "fall and shatter into pieces" if he continued — marked an unusually personal tone for a public diplomatic release.
Israeli officials have not publicly announced any punitive steps against the Knesset member. His supporters say parliamentary delegations routinely meet foreign counterparts to advance trade and security ties.
For Israeli politicians, the calculus is sensitive. Israel officially recognizes the People's Republic of China under the One-China policy, but it also maintains trade and quiet ties with Taipei — and a vocal segment of lawmakers insists on maintaining those contacts.
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