Since the murderous Hamas terror attack on October 7, Taiwan has stood with Israel through extensive aid efforts. After donating about 550,000 shekels to ZAKA and partnering with the nonprofit Pitchon Lev to support residents affected by rocket fire, a new initiative has now been launched: a scholarship program for students affected by the war, in cooperation with the Peres Academic Center in Rehovot.
“Since the tragedy of October 7, Taiwan has not only expressed deep diplomatic solidarity with Israel but has taken decisive action to help Israelis impacted by the war,” Taiwan’s ambassador to Israel, Ya-Ping Abby Lee, said at a scholarship ceremony held Monday evening at the college.
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Donation distribution event at the college
(Photo: courtesy of the Peres Academic Center)
“We work with organizations such as IsraAID and Pitchon Lev, as well as with local governments and kibbutzim, to support families hurt by terror, struggling communities and young people in need of emotional and social assistance. Taiwan and Israel may be geographically distant, but we share values. We are partners with Israel, always, in challenging days and in better days.”
The ambassador stressed that she sees the scholarship program as an investment in Israel’s next generation. “I hope the program helps students build a promising future and continue their higher education. These scholarships bring the Taiwanese and Israeli peoples closer together and strengthen the human capital that moves both countries forward.”
During the emotional event, scholarship recipients shared powerful personal stories. One student broke down in tears as she described being caught in the middle of exam preparation when the Iranian attack struck.
Taiwan's Ambassador to Israel Ya-Ping Abby Lee
Photo: Taiwan Panorama“The missile destroyed my home, and the only light since then was the phone call from the college telling me I would receive aid from Taiwan,” she said. “At a time when the state has turned its back on us, and when bureaucracy has delayed the start of repairs, it is the Taiwanese Embassy and the Peres Academic Center that have seen us and supported us. We are deeply grateful to the ambassador; it is far from obvious.”
Ofra Elul, CEO of the Peres Academic Center, also offered heartfelt thanks. “Abby Lee is a rare example of leadership that comes from the heart. Beyond the financial aid, her greatest contribution is the emotional and therapeutic support she enables for those affected by the war.”
The scholarship program is part of Taiwan’s broader humanitarian activity in Israel since the war began. At the end of June, Ambassador Abby Lee visited Bat Yam, which suffered heavy damage during an Iranian missile barrage, and announced a donation of about 550,000 shekels to ZAKA to purchase mobile lighting equipment.
“Taiwan and Israel share the same values and the belief in protecting our way of life under threat,” she said at the time. “No nation is too small to have freedom and the ability to stand on the right side of history.”
Alongside the new scholarship program, the Peres Academic Center continues to advance assistance initiatives and psychological support for students affected by the war. It is currently establishing a subsidized emotional-therapy clinic for students and the Rehovot community.