Was the ZIM deal blocked? During Sunday morning's government meeting, Deputy Minister Almog Cohen raised the issue of the sale of ZIM with the government and told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "I am warning here at the government meeting about the strategic danger inherent in the sale of ZIM to a fund under Qatari-Saudi control. It would be a disaster to hand them the key to Israel's maritime gateway."
Netanyahu objected, saying, "It is not on the agenda at all." Defense Minister Israel Katz made clear that the Defense Ministry and the defense establishment also opposed a deal that would ultimately transfer partial control to Saudi and Qatari hands, adding, "It is not on the agenda. We have a golden share (in the company), and if necessary, we will exercise the authority granted to us by law."
