Strategic Assessment

Israeli maritime trade constitutes approximately 99 percent of the entire volume of Israeli foreign trade; hence the strategic importance of maritime trade, which is in the process of expansion as a result of globalization and international outsourcing. This article addresses the threats to Israeli maritime trade stemming from a variety of regional political factors. Some are new constraints, while others are issues that have evolved over time and continue to change in correlation with regional political changes. The article surveys the threats to maritime trade stemming primarily from recent political events, and argues that events that appear to be limited to the realm of regional politics also hold significance for world maritime trade in general and Israeli maritime trade in particular.