6 Things You Need to Know About Israel-Philippines Relations

Much of the world’s attention these days are fixed squarely on the Middle East—specifically on Israel, following a surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday, October 7. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu minced no words describing the situation to his people and the rest of the world. 

“We are at war,” he said.

News coming out of the region is bleak, with hundreds dead on both sides and thousands more injured and displaced. While it doesn't seem like many Filipinos don’t seem to care so much about what’s going on over there (judging by what’s trending in the country over the past couple of days), it’s not a bad idea to familiarize ourselves with what’s going on in that part of the world, particularly because the Philippines and Israel have such a special bond that stretches back decades—to the days of the formation of the State of Israel.

Here are 6 things you should know about the relations between the Philippines and Israel:

ALSO READ

Why President Manuel Quezon Sheltered Jewish Refugees in the Philippines in 1939

Holocaust Survivors Reveal How Filipinos Protected Them When Everyone Else Wouldn’t

1| The Philippines holds a special place in Israel’s heart

In case you didn’t know, the Philippines was the only Asian country to have voted in favor of the creation of the state of Israel. A total of 33 countries voted yes to Resolution No. 181 of the United Nations General Assembly on November 29, 1947, which was the basis for the formation of the country of Israel that we know today. Of those 33 countries, the only one from Asia is the Philippines. (Russia, or the former USSR, is traditionally thought of as a European territory, despite much of its land area being in Asia).

The Philippines’ decision to provide shelter for Jewish refugees during the Holocaust in World War 2 is also well-known.

Israel paid tribute to those 33 countries in 2007 during the country’s 60th anniversary as a sovereign nation.

2| There are 14 bilateral agreements between Israel and the Philippines

The first bilateral agreement between the two countries was signed all the way back in August 1951. Since then, 13 other agreements have been inked, including those abolishing transit and visitors visa, cultural, educational and academic research; technical cooperation related to agriculture; and, most recently, customs matters, which was signed in 2010.

3| The Philippines and Israel do a lot of business together

In 2020, Israel ranked 34th as the Philippines’ trading partner (out of 225 partners), 39th export market (out of 212 markets) and 31st import supplier (out of 205 suppliers), according to the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

In 2022 the total volume of trade in goods between the two countries was $534 million (about P30.3 billion), which is a 70 percent increase compared to the previous year. By 2024, Israel’s economic and foreign affairs ministers are optimistic that number will go up to $1 billion, primarily driven by investments on agriculture, water management, and tourism. 

The top products the Philippines exports to Israel include electronics, chemicals, marine products (such as live fish and canned tuna), processed food (such as nuts, meat condiments, and mixes), and garments. 

4| There are over than 30,000 Filipinos currently living in Israel

Filipinos are one of the largest groups of immigrant workers in Israel. Of the approximately 300,000 foreign workers in Israel, over 10 percent or at least 30,000, are Filipinos. A huge majority, or about 95 percent, live in the northern part of the country, far from the conflict. But, according to news reports, there are at least 137 Filipinos living and working in the Gaza Strip, one of the conflict areas in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. 

5| Israel is one of the biggest supporters of the Philippine military

Israel has sold a large number of weapons to the Philippines over the years. In addition, the country has also provided intelligence related to terror groups, and, in recent years, has also provided training to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, specifically in the fight against Islamic separatists linked to international terrorist groups.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte visited Israel during his term, becoming the first Filipino head of state to do so while in office.

It was during Duter’s term in office that the Philippine Navy purchased Spike-ER missiles, the first surface-to-surface missiles to be mounted on Philippine Navy ship, from Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The Philippines is also known to use a variety of Israeli weapons, including Israeli firearms like Galil and TAR-21, as well as the Soltam M-71 155 mm howitzer used by the Philippine Army and Marines. 

6| Israel is a popular country for tourism for many Filipinos

In 2019, the last year before the pandemic, nearly 33,000 Filipino tourists visited Israel, up from 28,600 in 2018, according to the Department of Tourism. From January to June 2023, there were already a total of 22,800 tourists from the Philippines who visited Israel, up from 22,500 during the same period in 2022.

On the flipside, a total of 10,312 Israeli tourists visited the Philippines between January and August 2023, up from 9,711 recorded for the whole year of 2022.

However, on Monday (October9), the Department of Foreign Affairs announced that all travel from the Philippines to Israel is postponed indefinitely or “until such time that the situation has stabilized.”