Israeli Representative Winds Up Eventful Term in Taiwan

Arguably one of the best-known foreign diplomats in Taiwan in recent years, Raphael Gamzou has just completed a four-year term as representative of the Israel Economic and Cultural Office (ISECO) in Taiwan. His stay on the island has been a fruitful one, and he leaves with substantially enhanced interaction between Taiwan and Israel.

He also leaves with the friendship of a large group of people, in both the government and private sectors. He has done much to establish mutual trust, respect, and understanding between the two nations.

Learning About Taiwan

Praised by Taiwan's Foreign Minister Timothy Yang as "so popular in Taiwan," treated by numerous local groups as their most cherished foreign friend, and loved by the Israeli and Taiwanese members of his office team, Gamzou, and his wife Michal, director of cultural affairs for ISECO, traveled all over the island to gain an understanding of the land and its people.

Another example of Gamzou's behavior was related by Avishai Bar-Magen, a young Israeli student studying for a master's degree in Taiwan: "Rafi (Gamzou's nick name) invited all Israeli students in Taiwan to his home quite often, when he really didn't have to do that at all! What he did for us reflects his good will and sincerity in doing things not just officially or for the sake of appearance."

When he first came to Taiwan, Gamzou told a journalist from the Taiwan-based China Economic News Service (CENS) during a recent interview, he had "...only very limited ideas and knowledge about Taiwan-I knew just a few terms, like Formosa\ and C.K.S. Now, I can probably say that my knowledge of Taiwan is a little more substantial."

"From the very beginning of my arrival in Taiwan, or maybe earlier, I knew that I would put my energies into the promotion of Israel-Taiwan relation. During the past four years I have strived to engage with different groups and non-government organizations (NGOs) in addition, of course, to government-related agencies, so as not to stay in the 'ivory tower' but become really involved in the local society and people. That was my and my wife's true goal."

Asked about the achievements made during his stay here, Gamzou insisted that all of the achievements were due to teamwork by ISECO's entire staff: "If I didn't have a good team with good will for engaging in good projects and establishing good bridges with the local people, what I could have done would have been very limited. Luckily I had a very good team here, a very good relationship with our headquarters in Jerusalem, and good relationships with the people of both Israel and Taiwan, including those in the business, religious, and cultural sectors, so we could do many things."

In Taiwan, Gamzuou cooperated closely with the local Tzu Chi Foundation to collect charity funds on the island and elsewhere through music concerts. Together with his wife, he became involved in volunteer activities such as resource recycling, care for the elderly, and hospital services.

Helping Typhoon Morakot Victims

Many local people will remember that when Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan in August 2009, Israel was the first foreign country to help flood victims in central and southern Taiwan by providing water-purifying and -filtration equipment delivered to the island via diplomatic pouch. Gamzou himself showed his concern by helping the victims clean away mud, setting up tents for survivors, and doing whatever else he could to assist.

Gamzou told CENS that the delivery of Israeli water-supply equipment to the flood-hit areas was a good example of teamwork at ISECO as well as of strong support from the Jerusalem headquarters.

"Anna Shen, a Taiwanese senior officer at ISECO, told me about the Israel-made water-treatment equipment because she knows Israel very well," Gamzou explained, "and we contacted our Jerusalem headquarters about the serious disaster here in Taiwan. One thing I want to let all Taiwanese people know is that while some people might feel that governments are often slow and bureaucratic, I must say that my ministry in Jerusalem replied to me with a positive answer and budget in probably just half an hour! I think that is a very clear indication of the friendship between Israel and Taiwan. In a crisis, especially a human crisis, you don't need to get into political concerns, just get to the point and go straight. I am proud of the creative and intelligent team in my office, as well as my headquarters in Jerusalem. In less than 36 hours, all of the water-supply equipment was collected from private manufacturers and sent to Taiwan by diplomatic pouch."

Clear Changes

The most important change that has taken place in Taiwanese-Israeli relations over the past four years, according to Gamzou, is an increased awareness of, interest in, and curiosity about Israel among the people of Taiwan. "More and more local people are asking for various kinds of information," he reported, "including general information and information about traveling, business, and the like--and especially about high technology and innovation in Israel. As one encouraging example, we just held a very successful seminar for representatives from major consumer-electronics companies in Taiwan and Israel. That would have been very difficult for both sides in the past; we used to try to convince the authorities in Jerusalem to let business delegations from different sectors come to Taiwan during their trips to Asia or China, but it was not easy. The organization of the latest interaction, however, was not so long or difficult for the two sides; and more importantly, the number of Israeli companies in the recent delegation to Taiwan was bigger than the number in similar delegations to China!"

An announcement was made, only a few days before Gamzou left Taiwan, of the establishment of the Taiwan-Israel Chamber of Commerce (TICC), an organization designed to promote trade and cultural ties by holding trade forums and helping Taiwanese businessmen visit Israel and attend trade exhibitions there. "There is plenty of room for cooperation," Gamzou said, "because Taiwan and Israel are both high-tech countries. Taiwan is good at the manufacturing of high-tech products, while Israel is good at the research and development of high-tech products."

Another indication of the improved Taiwan-Israel relationship, according to the representative, is the increasing number of Taiwanese visitors in Israel for both business and tourism purposes. Such visitors have increased by 20-25% annually over the past several years.

"There is still a lot to do," Gamzou conceded, "but I do feel the changes in Taiwan-Israel mutual understanding and interaction. We believe that interaction will be even more frequent and intensive after the two countries sign a visa-waver agreement in the near future."

Enthusiastic Advocate

Asked to name his most satisfying achievement in Taiwan, Gamzou replied, "I think I am a good advocate for having the Israeli government be more flexible in its interaction with Taiwan. I do think that there is big room for further development of our bilateral relationship without violating Israel's one-China policy or our commitment to a democratic Taiwan."

Trade between Taiwan and Israel has steadily increased over the years, amounting to about US$1.2 billion to US$1.3 billion per year; this level held even in 2009, despite the financial turmoil. Electronics and high-tech goods account for most of the bilateral trade. With the global economy showing signs of recovery, the value of Taiwan-Israel trade in the first quarter of 2010 skyrocketed 140% over the same period of 2009.

Another indication of the close economic ties between the two countries is Giza Venture Capital, which was established in 1992 and currently manages five funds totaling about US$600 million in value. Giza has been very active in Taiwan in the past few years, and with government support Taiwan's National Development Fund has invested US$50 million in the firm.

During the 2010 Computex Taipei (Taipei International Information Technology Show), one of the largest information and communication technology (ICT) trade exhibitions in the world, Micro-Star International Co. (MSI), a major Taiwanese motherboard and notebook PC manufacturer, announced that its new laptop computer model would incorporate industry-leading technology for upgraded gaming functionality developed by a Giza-invested Israeli company

Danen Technology Corp., a Taiwanese company that specializes in making top-quality silicon ingots and wafers used in photovoltaic applications, was established in 2007 with investment from Giza, among others. Danan Technology carried out its initial public offering (IPO) just this month.

Some demonstration farms in Taiwan have adopted advanced irrigation or greenhouse systems supplied by Israel's Netafim, the global leader in smart-drip and micro-irrigation solutions. This agricultural trade goes both ways, and an increasing number of Israeli companies are purchasing more products from Taiwan; these include Agrexco, Israel's foremost agricultural exporter, which is interested in purchasing orchids from the island.

Gamzou also sees a high potential for bilateral business partnerships in such areas as electric vehicle and solar-energy.

Where's That Blue Sky?

"I did not encounter too many difficulties in Taiwan, except that my favorite blue sky in Israel is not so often visible in Taipei," Gamzou said with a smile. "Taiwanese people are so warm, they treat foreigners so nicely, and I have so many friends here. I had four exciting years in Taiwan; maybe, being the representative in Taiwan is one of the smartest decisions I have ever made. My wife and I are so grateful. The Taiwanese people should be very proud of themselves, not only for their economic achievements but also for the successful democratic system they have established."

"I do believe that Taiwan and Israel are mutually compensating rather than competitive. If our two nations only 'hug' each other tighter, there will surely be a win-win situation; Israel will never compete with Taiwan in manufacturing, because it always focuses on developing new ideas."