MARITIME ISSUES AND ISRAEL’S FOREIGN RELATIONS

This chapter evaluates the role of maritime issues in Israeli foreign policy. It offers a historical review that shows that for many decades maritime issues were not central in Israeli foreign policy, though some maritime-related issues, such as the right for free passage in the Suez Canal and Straits of Tiran, were indeed the central focus of concern for Israel at times. The chapter further shows how maritime issues grew in importance during the last two decades, mostly following the gas discoveries in Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Mediterranean. The chapter concludes with some broad observations about the patterns of Israel’s engagement on this issue.