Israel Faces Strategic Choice to Become Regional Transit Hub or Be Bypassed
The Strait of Hormuz, a longstanding global energy chokepoint, has recently become a geopolitical weapon as Iran threatens to disrupt its passage, making transit risky and costly. This has accelerated a shift in global geography, prompting countries dependent on Hormuz to seek alternative routes and build redundancy in their energy and trade infrastructure. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have developed pipelines bypassing the strait, while even distant regions like the Arctic and Russia’s Northern Sea Route are gaining attention as new transport corridors.
Syria’s port of Tartus, historically a Russian foothold in the Eastern Mediterranean, has begun handling civilian cargo, potentially becoming a key asset in competing transit corridors linking the Gulf and Iraq to the Mediterranean. This emerging network could rival routes passing through Israel, highlighting the strategic importance of Israel’s geographic position.
Israel’s opportunity lies in the IMEC corridor, connecting India, the Gulf states, Jordan, Israel, and Europe. Haifa port is a natural western gateway, positioning Israel as a critical link between Asia, the Gulf, and Europe. However, realizing this potential requires physical infrastructure, regional agreements, and investments, especially in rail connections through Jordan.
The existing Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline, once considered obsolete, could regain significance as part of a diversified energy transit system linking Israel to Gulf energy networks. Future transit corridors will integrate railways, roads, pipelines, ports, electricity grids, communication cables, and logistics centers, offering host countries economic benefits, political leverage, and mutual dependencies.
The lesson from Hormuz is that the world is transitioning from geopolitics of chokepoints to geopolitics of networks. Israel sits at a crossroads that could either elevate it to a vital regional hub or leave it sidelined as new corridors bypass it. The message is clear: if Israel delays, these corridors will be built around it, not through it.
