Israel’s main coastline is on its West, facing the Mediterranean. Its Navy’s main adversary used to be Egypt’s, and in the four decades of peace between Cairo and Jerusalem, maritime challenges emanate chiefly from Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, especially since the Sea turned out to offer an abundance of energy resources. Thus, the Israeli Navy’s main fleet-in-being is still operating out of the ports of Haifa and Ashdod. Yet, with Iran and its proxies threatening shipping and shore-based targets in the Persian Gulf, Bab-el-Mandeb and Red Sea areas, the Naval vessels out of the southern Israeli city of Eilat and their cooperation with Air Force and intelligence assets, as well as American and regional partners, have also been tasked with a major responsibility. Israel now has to balance its Naval activities between micro versions of a Sixth Fleet in the West and a Fifth Fleet in the South, which are joined by Egypt’s Suez Canal, which it is able to utilize for transit.
Guests Col. (Ret.) Dr. Eran Lerman, Co-host TV7 Middle East Review, Powers-in-Play Panelist, JISS VP and Editor in Chief of the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, RADM (Ret.) Prof. Shaul Chorev, Head of Maritime Policy and Strategy Research Center, University of Haifa, and Amir Oren.
