From Iron Dome to Zim: The Economic Confrontation Between Israel and Qatar Escalates

Following Qatar's veto of the Rafael-Volkswagen deal, Israel is seeing broad opposition to the sale of Zim to Hapag-Lloyd and the Fimi fund. Security bodies and government ministries fear Qatari and Saudi influence on the national logistics artery. The Government Companies Authority presented 145 questions, and a special hearing has been set for September 2026.

The economic confrontation between Israel and Qatar is escalating, this time over the sale of the shipping company Zim. After Qatar's veto of the Rafael-Volkswagen deal, Israel is seeing broad opposition to the sale of Zim to the German company Hapag-Lloyd and the Fimi fund. Security bodies and government ministries fear Qatari and Saudi influence on the national logistics artery. The separation mechanism in the deal is designed to bypass regulatory restrictions: Hapag-Lloyd will purchase Zim's international operations, and the Fimi fund will establish a separate company named 'Zim Israel' that will hold 16 medium-sized ships and continue operating strategic routes to Israel, including the line between the US and the Mediterranean. The opposition includes, alongside the defense establishment, the Shipping and Ports Authority and the ministries of economy, agriculture, and transportation, due to concerns about harming economic maritime independence and food supply in emergencies. The Government Companies Authority presented a document with 145 security and economic questions, and the state postponed the final decision and set a special hearing for September 2026. The assessment in the defense establishment is that Israel will not allow the sale, as a third of the German company is held by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.