Mike Pompeo will become the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) when he arrives in the Pacific Island nation on Monday. His meeting with the leaders of FSM, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and Palau will be a significant signal to both friends and adversaries in the Pacific that U.S. commitment to these partners is strong and growing deeper.
Malaysia is 4,700 miles away from the Middle East, yet the leadership of this Muslim-majority country in Asia long ago chose sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Malaysia has recognized the “State of Palestine” and hosts a Palestinian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, but refuses to recognize the State of Israel.
Last month, as President Trump stopped in Da Nang, Vietnam, to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, an announcement was made that underlined just what the United States stands to lose—if it has not lost already—in the Asia Pacific region and at home if we continue on the course the president has set.
For over a quarter-century, AJC’s Asia Pacific Institute (API) has promoted Israeli and American ties with India. These relationships, as well as the trilateral India-Israel-U.S. nexus, benefit all the countries and communities involved.