“Israeli” writer Amir Oren wrote in Haaretz that if a 75th-anniversary celebration is held next month at the Port of “Eilat”, “it will be a somber occasion”. Except for the navy, the port is empty and practically frozen, as much as the local heat permits. “Not a ship in sight. The reason? Bab al-Mandab. Freedom of navigation to ‘Eilat’ has been lost,” he wrote.
Oren explained that although the events of October 7, 2023, the war, and the abandoning of captives are the prime concerns, the closure of navigation to “Eilat” is one of the biggest failures of the “Israeli” government from 2023 to 2025.
He recalled that since the founding of “Israel” in 1948, naval issues were a high priority. “Israeli” leaders feared an Egyptian invasion or blockade, and safeguarding naval supply lines was the most critical task. “Israel’s” old ships were tasked with intercepting Arab warships threatening merchant vessels, while “Shayetet” 13 elite commando forces were assigned missions to attack enemy forces in their bases.
“Eilat”, a minor port, was never a rival to the ports of Haifa, Yafa [“Jaffa”] or “Tel Aviv”. But both Red Sea and Mediterranean ports faced the same problem: Egyptian harassment of “Israeli”-bound sea lanes, especially those carrying strategic cargo such as oil or cement.
Oren stated that until the 1973 “Yom Kippur” War, “Israel” controlled the Red Sea. Egypt’s strategic closure of Bab al-Mandab during the war, however, exposed the limits of “Israeli” reach. Despite recognizing Yemen as a strategic vulnerability, “Israel” lacked the air or naval capabilities to act at such distance. Even missile boats dispatched to sail around Africa before the war were stranded halfway between Haifa and the southern Ophira base.
Access to Bab al-Mandab for “Israeli” shipping was secured half a century ago through a political agreement brokered by Henry Kissinger as part of the “Israeli”-Egyptian disengagement agreement. This ensured smooth sea access to Eilat until October 2023.
Now, due to Yemen-initiated drone and missile strikes—initially aimed at “Eilat” and later extending northward—“Israel’s” priorities shifted from a Bab al-Mandab blockade to defending its central district and main airport. Western and American assistance focused more on curbing launch capabilities than ensuring maritime navigation.
Oren lamented that maritime blockades were neglected in public discourse, compared to the fear of strikes on Ben Gurion Airport. The empty Port of “Eilat” stood in sharp contrast to the long and costly queues at the Port of Haifa, and even off the coast of Akka [“Acre”].
He added that when Trump signed a ceasefire agreement with the Yemenis, it applied only to US forces: “America First? More like America Alone.” Europe, he said, was a “parasite” on the American host, left to fend for itself. And “Israel”? Still protected by missile defense systems, but offensive operations were halted. Under Netanyahu, “Israel” was pushed back to its realistic borders.
The message that US War Secretary Peter Hegseth—due in the region tomorrow—will most likely convey, according to Oren, is simple: “No pressure. If you don’t want to act in your own interest, that’s your problem. You’ll pay the price. Can you open Bab al-Mandab? Be our guest. The Fifth Fleet won’t do it for you.”
Oren concluded that no overarching regional deal, supported by overwhelming great-power pressure, is likely to materialize. Rather, an American formula—prepackaged—will be handed down from the White House, with little room for modification.
He envisioned a potential “Israeli”-Arab deal [possibly even including Iran, in Washington’s view] for reopening a land corridor from the Gulf to the Mediterranean. This route would bypass Bab al-Mandab and pass through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the “Israeli” entity and Egypt’s Sinai. But for that to be achievable, the war in Gaza must end, and progress toward a Palestinian state must be made.
“In ‘Eilat’s’ empty port,” he wrote, “‘Israel’ is rediscovering the limits of power—and, no less importantly, the limits of sanity on the part of those clinging to power, beset by an acute lack of integrity and competence.”
Source: Al-Ahed English News
