A new report out of Israel bluntly lays out Israel’s future task in the tumultuous Middle East: Become a maritime power.
The report grew out of a commission of politically and philosophically diverse experts of former Israeli and American navy admirals and other policymakers, according to a lengthy analysis in the Times of Israel.
The upshot of the report calls on Israel to take a greater role in securing the Eastern Mediterranean. It warns that in order to have security, Israel must turn to the sea–not just to the land and air.
“The sea gives Israel strategic depth, more area from which to operate militarily than is afforded by Israel’s landmass…Use of the sea for ships, submarines and other equipment helps Israel to deter and defend against WMD, ballistic missiles and heavy rockets,” according to the report.
The Mediterranean is increasingly strategically important, and American foreign policy has become more isolationist; therefore, Israel must safeguard the vital Hormuz straits and the Suez Canal. These are entry points to and from the Indian Ocean–where Iran, China, Russia and India are “building capabilities to influence events there,” the report notes.
The report also focuses at length on the recent gas finds in Israeli waters, saying Israel could become an “energy-independent nation and even a potential energy exporter.” But enemies such as Hezbollah and Hamas “are expanding their naval arsenals to enable them to threaten Israel’s offshore infrastructure.”
The report concludes with a call to reexamine the role of the sea in protecting both Israel and America’s interests in the region.
Read the entire report here.
IL cannot increase her defense expense! What are alliances for? She needs to be smart.
Not a single EU country contributes its own share for NATO!!!! They all want the US to pay for IT!!!