As China emerges as a major patron of Iran, and the U.S. encourages Israel and its other allies to take a more circumspect attitude toward Beijing, there is more reason than ever for Jerusalem to cultivate ties with other Asian nations. Japan, an American ally that has enjoyed warming relations with the Jewish state for several years, should be foremost among them, argues Joshua Walker:
The [2019] Japan-Israel Free Trade Agreement has received scant attention—not to mention the significant investment and trade between the two countries that is far more strategic than current volume would suggest.
Jerusalem and Tokyo have [also] pursued more engagement with regional American allies. An Indo-Pacific led by the U.S.-Japan alliance, and a “new” Middle East led by the U.S.-Israel alliance, will only go so far without important partners from India and Australia to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—all of whom both Japan and Israel have been engaging with in new and innovative ways.
Ultimately, in democracies like the U.S., Israel, and Japan, engagement can be driven not just by heads of state, but also by the private sectors and societies of each nation—which is why U.S.-Israel and U.S.-Japan relations have flourished. It is now time to go beyond the bilateral and move on to the trilateral, where there are synergies in specific [political and economic] areas. . . . Japan can benefit from Israel’s innovative and entrepreneurial culture while also serving as a bulwark against China, this century’s preeminent geopolitical threat to the free world.
Read more on Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/force-multiplier-allies-start-nation-israel-plus-scale-nation-japan-opinion-1523897