The Korean equation

Congratulations to your astute analyst Yossi Melman for reporting on the shifting sand in official Israeli thinking about the implications for Israel in the Korean crisis “North Korea and the Jewish question” (April 27). He brings the latest thinking of a “senior Israeli officer” that a conflict between the US and North Korea might reduce US military aid to Israel.

Such narrow procurement vision of the said officer lacks wider geopolitical perspective. Melman hints at this when he reminds us that “North Korea is a supplier of missiles and maybe even nuclear technology to Iran.”

Focus on the North Korea-Iran axis is critical to any full understanding of the issues involved beyond Israel’s arms supply chain. There is no clearer vision of this than in recognizing that the distance westward for an intercontinental ballistic missile between Iran and New York is the same as the eastward distance between North Korea and Los Angeles.

In the mutually beneficial US-Israel strategic alliance, Jerusalem has primary responsibility for Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy, whether in Syria or Lebanon. In parallel, Washington has primary responsibility for North Korea, Iran’s supplier of military hardware and technology. From this perspective, cutting North Korea back at least to conventional military size, and the signal this would send to Iran, is highly important to Israel’s security.

As part of this larger equation, the senior officer would be well advised to focus instead how Israel plans to increase hi-tech military assistance to South Korea. This is a matter that US President Trump would clearly appreciate. AARON BRAUNSTEIN Jerusalem