On December 4 the German Marshall Fund hosted a lunch discussion on relations between Japan, Israel, and the United States featuring GMF Transatlantic Fellow Dr. Joshua Walker. The event was attended by a bicameral and bipartisan group of Congressional staff.

As the United States has strong bilateral relationships with each country, it can serve as a facilitator to encourage the overall trilateral relationship, which Walker argued would serve U.S. interests. Unbeknownst to many Americans, Israel and Japan have identified each other as strategic and economic partners for the future. The discussion touched on how the economies of the two countries complement each other and Walker expressed a hope that Japan will increase its investments in Israel. He noted that Israel has a robust start-up culture, which offers investment opportunities and a potential model for Japan, and that Japan represents a huge market opportunity for Israel.