As Jerusalem continues to expand its diplomatic horizons, both in the Middle East and further afield, it should, according to Jacob Nagel, take Taipei into consideration.

Israel and Taiwan, as two democracies threatened by dictatorships, should strengthen their ties in all areas, including defense. In the event of any conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan, Israel’s message should be clear and sharp: the Jewish state stands with America, its greatest ally.

It is clear that China is not Israel’s friend, but the Jewish state has not always recognized this reality, and some Israelis don’t admit it even now. . . . More recent developments, however, have made it undeniable that Israeli ties with China run counter to the Jewish state’s interests.

In 2021, Beijing and Tehran signed a 25-year agreement that entails a $400 billion Chinese investment in the Iranian economy in exchange for cheap Iranian oil. The Chinese money would give Iran access to sensitive and advanced Chinese technologies, boost Iran’s defense industry, and support the development of conventional and nuclear weapons. Chinese money would also finance Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, and would enable continued Iranian financing for terrorist groups in the Middle East, including Hizballah and Hamas.

Israel now has a real opportunity to strengthen both Israeli and U.S. interests in Taiwan, at China’s expense. If Israel acts wisely and cautiously, a resource-intensive market may open for Israeli industry, directly or via the United States.

How did Qatar, an American ally, become the nerve center of the leading Palestinian jihadist organization? Natalie Ecanow explains.

When Jordan expelled Hamas in 1999, Qatar offered sanctuary to the group, which had already become notorious for using suicide-bombing attacks over the previous decade. . . . Hamas chose to relocate to Syria. However, that arrangement lasted for only a decade. With the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, the terror group found its way back to Qatar.

In 2003, Hamas leaders reportedly convened in Qatar after the IDF attempted to eliminate Hamas’s founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, following a Hamas suicide bombing in Jerusalem that killed seven people, including two American citizens. This episode led to one of the first efforts by Qatar to advocate for its terror proxy.

Thirteen years and five wars between Hamas and Israel later, Qatar’s support for Hamas has not waned. . . . To this day, Qatari officials maintain that the office came at the “request from Washington to establish indirect lines of communication with Hamas.” However, an Obama White House official asserted that there was never any request from Washington. . . . Inexplicably, the United States government continues to rely on Qatar to negotiate for the release of the hostages held by Hamas, even as the regime hosts the terror group’s political elite.

A reckoning is needed between our two countries. Congressional hearings, legislation, executive orders, and other measures to regulate relations between our countries are long overdue.