Transport Minister Moves to Block ZIM Deal: "Strategic Threat to Security"

Israel’s Minister of Transport, Miri Regev, has urgently contacted the Minister in charge of the Government Companies Authority, David Amsalem, demanding an emergency discussion on measures to block the emerging sale of ZIM to the German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd.

According to the Minister and professional officials in her office, the proposed framework—which includes a structural split and the transfer of activities to the FIMI Fund—completely contradicts the vital interests of the State of Israel. Based on the position of the Shipping and Ports Authority (SPA) detailed in the letter, diluting ZIM's connection to Israel constitutes a tangible strategic threat to national security during emergencies.

The Minister emphasizes that maintaining an "Iron Fleet" of Israeli-owned and controlled vessels, alongside a local maritime workforce infrastructure, is a critical national resource that must not be abandoned to foreign entities. The Ministry's position is that the move creates a substantial fear of harming ZIM's existence as a "going concern" in Israel and creates a dangerous dependency in the maritime supply chain.

On the legal front, the letter notes that ZIM's articles of association explicitly prohibit decision-making regarding mergers or splits without prior written consent from the State, which holds the "Special State Share" (Golden Share). The Minister of Transport argues that the current framework renders the essence of the Golden Share meaningless and violates the principles of the Ministerial Committee for Privatization, which conditioned any structural change on not harming Israeli seamanship or security interests.

In light of the severity of the situation, the Minister calls for the use of all legal and administrative tools to ensure that the Golden Share serves as an effective barrier against the deal. The letter, which was also brought to the attention of the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Defense and Finance, marks the beginning of a regulatory struggle that may lead to a significant delay or the cancellation of the global move presented in recent days.