(Live here) – The future of the national shipping company ZIM: An opinion from the Economy and Infrastructure Division of the Prime Minister's Office recommends not approving the sale of ZIM to Hapag-Lloyd in its current form. According to the document, despite maintaining an Israeli company under the control of the FIMI fund, the structure of the deal leaves significant dependence on foreign entities in operational, commercial and strategic areas essential to its activities.
The fear: After the global company is dissolved, the reduced ZIM Israel will remain Israeli, but dependent on Hapag-Lloyd
As part of the proposed deal, Apag-Lloyd will acquire ZIM's global operations, while FIMI will establish "ZIM Israel." The new company will be given 12 owned ships, four chartered ships, and three service lines to Israel, Europe, and North America. However, in the first years of operation, it is expected to rely significantly on Apag-Lloyd for slot acquisition, container supply, operational services, and connectivity to the international network.
The fear: Israeli control without full operational independence
According to the opinion, the main problem is the gap between Israeli corporate control and operational reality. ZIM Israel is supposed to be owned by FIMI and operate as an Israeli company, but a substantial part of the capabilities required to continue its operations will remain dependent on Hapag-Lloyd. In addition, the company will not initially have an independent line to Asia and the Far East, and some of the capabilities required for independent management have not yet been anchored in binding contractual obligations. For this reason, the Prime Minister's Office recommends not approving the deal in its current form.
Oren Caspi, chairman of the workers' committee, told the paper in response:
The workers' committee is pleased that the government sees the danger in Qatar and Saudi Arabia taking over a strategically significant company and welcomes this. ZIM is a critical security and economic asset for the State of Israel, and it would be unthinkable for the state to give up such an asset.
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav in response to a verbal statement regarding the Prime Minister's and Finance Ministry's opposition to the Zim company sale deal:
"I welcome the position presented by the Prime Minister's and Finance Ministry's offices against the sale of the Zim company in the outline that is currently on the table. Right from the start, I was the first to call for stopping the deal and warned of its implications. Today, it turns out that the concerns I raised were justified. Zim is far more than a commercial company. The State of Israel's ability to maintain open trade routes and maritime independence, certainly in times of emergency, is a national interest of the highest order. Such a strategic capability must not be entrusted to a structure that creates dependence on foreign factors. Zim also has a deep and long-standing connection to Haifa, its employees, and the local economy. I expect the government to continue along this line and ensure that in any future outline, the Israeli independence of the vital shipping activity, the security interests of the state, the employees, and Haifa's status as the home of Zim will be preserved."
It is forbidden under any circumstances to sell Zim to its owners, and certainly not to Arabs or Chinese.