Israel cannot secure the Red Sea without an African strategy - opinion

An opinion piece argues that Israel's Red Sea security strategy is dangerously incomplete because it lacks an African strategy. The author contends that the threat extends beyond the Houthis to include rising Somali piracy, Eritrea's militarized dictatorship, and Ethiopia's dependence on Djibouti for maritime access. He proposes a Red Sea partnership led jointly with African states, coordinated maritime intelligence, and investment in regional infrastructure.

An opinion piece by Shmuel Legesse, an Ethiopian-born Israeli-American former detective and conflict resolution educator, argues that Israel's Red Sea security strategy is dangerously incomplete because it lacks an African strategy. The author contends the threat extends beyond the Houthis to include rising Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden, Eritrea's militarized dictatorship, and Ethiopia's dependence on Djibouti for maritime access. He notes that maritime authorities recorded two dozen attempted or completed incidents of piracy and armed robbery across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region in only three months this year. Legesse proposes a Red Sea partnership led jointly with African states including Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, and Somalia, coordinated maritime intelligence, anti-piracy operations, port security, and an infrastructure fund connecting inland economies to multiple ports. He argues that Ethiopian Israelis should serve in diplomacy, national security, and African missions, and that the community answers the lie that Zionism is a white colonial project. The piece concludes that Israel may win engagements without an African strategy but will lose the larger struggle for secure trade, regional legitimacy, and lasting peace.