BAGUIO, JESSA MAY A.

BA POLSCI 4

Israel–Philippines relations

The Israel–Philippines relations refers to the bilateral ties between the State of Israel and the Republic
of the Philippines. Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were realized upon the signing of
the Treaty of Friendship on February 26, 1958. The Israeli embassy in Manila and the Filipino embassy
in Tel Aviv opened in 1962.

The current ambassador of Israel to the Philippines is Ambassador Menashe Bar-On.

The current ambassador of Philippine to Israel is Neal Imperial.

History. When Adolf Hitler became the chancellor of Germany in January 1933, he initiated the
killing of almost six million Jews. More than a thousand of German and Austrian Jews escaped to the
Philippines when no other country accepted them. In 1947, the Philippines was one of the 33
countries and the only Asian country who voted for the UN Resolution 181 referring to the partition of
Palestine and the creation of the State of Israel. A Treaty of Friendship was signed on February 26, 1958
indicating full diplomatic relations between the two nations. The Philippine and Israel embassies were
both opened in 1962, in Manila and Tel Aviv respectively. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
was signed by both countries in 1997, establishing bilateral ties in economy, education, trade, science,
and tourism. Israel's exports to the Philippines remain higher in comparison to the Philippines' exports
to Israel. Israeli exports amount to $248,448,918 while Filipino exports amount to $33,929,631 in 2007.
The number one exports to each other by both countries are electronics.

In 2004, there were 37,155–50,000 Filipino workers in Israelestine to deter Israeli support.

Military ties At June 2013, the Philippines have interest to purchase the SPYDER and Iron Dome
Surface-to-Air Missile according to DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. The fate of the deal is still unknown
but it might be already signed and deployed. In January 2014, the Armed Forces of the Philippines
agreed to purchase 28 Israeli armored vehicles. The Philippines is known to use a variety of Israeli
weapons such as Israeli firearms like Galil and TAR-21. Also included is the artillery.

Economic relations. Trade between Israel and the Philippines continues to grow but remains
insignificant compared to Israel's trade industry between Europe and the Americas. Israel's exports to
the Philippines remain higher in comparison to the Philippines' exports to Israel. Israeli exports amount
to $248,448,918 while Filipino exports amount to $33,929,631 in 2007. The number one exports to each
other by both countries are electronics. In 2004, there were 37,155–50,000 Filipino workers in Israel.
Out of the major economic relations, commodity trade holds the biggest share.

Philippine exports to Israel grew by 20.37% from USD 46.23 million in 2015 to USD 55.65 million in
2016. This was due to an increase in the shipment of digital monolithic integrated circuits (+13.11%),
frozen fish fillet (+54.74%), polypropylene in various forms (+94.19%), and tunas, skipjacks, and bonito
fish (+100.67%).

The Philippine Export Marketing Bureau is promoting electronic manufacturing services, fresh and
processed foods (especially in fish and coconut), and IT-BPM for export to Israel.

At an increase, Philippine imports from Israel grew by 23.21% from USD 103.99 million in 2015 to
128.12 million in 2016. This is attributed to higher imports of materials, accessories, and supplies for
the manufacture of dice (+47.74%), tanks and other armored fighting vehicles (+948.39%). The import
of materials, accessories, and supplies for the manufacture of semiconductor devices (+17.12%), and
agricultural or horticultural liquid sprayers (+83.45%) grew, as well.

Cultural relations. In 2009, the Open Doors Monument was erected in the Holocaust Memorial
Park in Rishon Lezion, Israel. It honored the role of the Philippine Commonwealth Government under
President Manuel L. Quezon in officially offering safe haven and issuing 10,000 visas to Jewish refugees
fleeing the Nazi regime. Philippine Fair is an annual event in Haifa. In July 2013, the 2-day fair opened
at the Castra mall, organized by the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Municipality of Haifa. The fair
features booths selling Filipino handicrafts and food, as well as a cultural program showcasing traditional
Filipino music and dance. A photography exhibition, “Yesterday and Today: A Look at Philippines-Israel
Relations through the Years," opened at the mall. Some of the images date to the Philippines’ “Open
Door Policy" in the 1930s, when more than 1,200 European Jews fleeing the Holocaust wy5ere given a
safe haven in the Philippines.

Why Israel offers visa-free access to Filipino tourists

Israel provides visa-free access to Filipinos who want to visit the “Holy Land,” an arrangement forged in
history and made possible by Filipinos’ open door policy. An act of Filipino hospitality, at a time the
Jewish people needed it most, earned the gratitude of Israel, which now shows it by welcoming Filipino
pilgrims, tourists and even skilled workers, according to Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben-
Matityau.
Today (Agreements & Cooperation)

MASHAV (Agency for International Development)[edit]

MASHAV is Israel's international development cooperation program. It was launched in 1957 with the
purpose of spreading knowledge and related technologies which helped in the country's rapid
development. The programs which Mashav include poverty alleviation, prioritize today empowerment
of women, education services, assistance in agricultural methods, and other humanitarian projects.
Since its establishment, the program has trained close to 270,000 course participants from 132 countries
–including the Philippines.

Various MASHAV courses are being offered in the Philippines. Recently, the program offered new
courses for the country which includes: International Training on Clean Technologies, Course on
Developing and Organizing a Trauma System and MCS Organization, Feeding the Future: Food Safety
and Technology in times of Global Change and Commercial Beekeeping in Modern Agriculture.
Moreover, the program keeps its contacts with former course applicants for them to be part of the
“Shalom Club” –it serves as forum for all MASHAV alumni. There are over 70 shalom clubs worldwide
in which the members are encouraged to participate in social and professional activities, to attend
fund-raising events, lectures ranging from AIDS education and business management and exchange
ideas about a certain issue. The embassy of Israel in Manila is a partner of the Shalom Club in the
Philippines. Their goal is to seek human and sustainable development, as well as to improve bilateral
relations of the two countries. The main activities conducted by the club are feeding programs and
donation missions.

PICAT (Philippine-Israel Center for Agricultural Training)

The Center for International Cooperation (MASHAV) and the Center for International Agricultural
Development Cooperation (CINADCO) of Israel, together with Central Luzon State University (CLSU),
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and Nueva Ecija Provincial Government of Philippines formed the
PICAT Project on June 19, 2006. Its main purpose is to establish an agricultural training center that
would stimulate better farm productivity, sustainability and profitability for the families in the region
of Nueva Ecija, and then was launched in other provinces such as Bulacan, Tarlac, and Pampanga.

In November 2013, the strongest recorded tropical cyclone in history, typhoon Haiyan hit the
Philippines. The Israeli government, after hearing the devastating news, immediately sent a team of
148-member from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) assisted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The
government also reconstructed buildings, restored water supply, and set up a field hospital to provide
immediate medical response such as delivery of babies, perform surgeries and treatment of more
than 2,800 victims. They also conducted search and rescue operations and sent relief goods for the
people affected by the disaster. Numerous organizations and institutions from Israel likewise helped
the victims of the typhoon such as IsraAID (Israel forum for international Humanitarian Aid), Boys
town Jerusalem, Israeli Relief Coalition and other volunteers from Israel has sent medical assistance to
the victims.