Vietnam's Israel defence ties complicate historic Palestinian solidarity

Vietnam's Israel defence ties complicate historic Palestinian solidarity Submitted by Minh Tran on Fri, 04/03/2026 - 11:00 Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary nation has struck a series of arms deals with Israel in recent years A soldier with the Vietnam People's Army ceremonial delegation takes part in the funeral of Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party, in Hanoi on 26 July 2024 (AFP) Off Vietnam’s historical support for Palestine goes back to its revered founding leader, the revolutionary and statesman Ho Chi Minh. In recent years, this support has been complicated by developing military ties with Israel . Vietnam, a one-party communist state with a population of over 100 million, is watching as the Middle East is turned into a live testing ground for the weapons systems already in its own military’s arsenal.