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ICYMI: AJC CEO TED DEUTCH EMPHASIZES ISRAEL’S STRONG ALLIANCES AND SHARED VALUES WITH JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, former Congressman and American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch emphasized Israel’s strong alliances and shared values with Japan and South Korea in a Daily News op-ed. The piece debunks false allegations about Israel’s standing on the global stage and makes the case that the three nations are “connected by their democratic values, dynamic human capital, investment in tech, and close relationships with the United States.” Additionally, Deutch highlighted a signed plan to launch the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, which will further weave Israel into the fabric of global commerce and cooperation across the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Eurasia. Despite Hamas’s attempts to isolate Israel from the rest of the world, Deutch argues that ultimately Israel’s relationships with these countries underscore its enduring relevance, global influence, and active engagement in international diplomacy and innovation.
READ THE FULL DAILY NEWS OP-ED HERE
KEY EXCERPTS
- After Japan was hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster in 2011, Israel was the first country to dispatch medical teams. In 2018, the two countries signed a cybersecurity accord, and they recently opened preliminary discussions toward a free trade agreement. Just this month, humanitarian aid from Israel arrived in Japan for the victims of last month’s Noto earthquake.
- To understand these dynamics, look at these nations’ shared values: Japan, South Korea, and Israel are connected by their democratic values, dynamic human capital, investment in tech, and close relationships with the United States. This was evident in the statements of support that both Tokyo and Seoul issued in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel.
- Bolstering the relationships between Japan and South Korea, the key democracies of East Asia, and Israel, the sole democracy in the Middle East, is crucial not only to foster an exchange of ideas but to counter the malevolent designs of increasingly aggressive authoritarians.
- Another encouraging sign is a powerful new idea to connect three different regions — South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe — via a railway and ports system linking India to Europe by way of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel, where goods could be further transshipped to Europe (and vice versa). New high-speed data lines and energy links would be included in the project.
- Before Oct. 7, Israel was on the verge of a more integrated future with the global community and Hamas’ efforts to disrupt this momentum will fail. Thanks to these relationships with countries in East Asia and Europe, Israel remains far from isolated at this pivotal moment.
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