The port of Eilat, already diminished, could shut down entirely without government assistance in what would be a win for the Houthis, at Israel’s only Red Sea port officials warn, according to The Washington Post.
They said the Port is at risk of a complete shutdown without financial assistance, citing the economic impact of months of attacks by Houthi rebels.
Although a complete shutdown of the privately operated port would not represent a sweeping change, given its already diminished capacity and the rerouting of activity to Mediterranean ports, it would be a win for the Houthis and point to the ongoing impact of their campaign, especially relative to Israel’s other adversaries in the region.
The Port of Eilat, in southern Israel, has seen a 90 percent drop in activity since, according to chief executive Gideon Golber.
“You cannot let terror organizations close any route,” Golber said after his meeting with government officials Sunday. He said he told representatives from the ministries of transportation, economy and finance that if they wanted to show the world that nobody can close Israel’s ports, the government should “force ships” to come to Eilat with financial incentives.
“Maybe you need to pay more money,” Golber said he told them. “Let’s say $500,000 per ship … and the workers will work.”
Through this drastic slowdown, the port has continued paying employees’ salaries, as well as land and port fees to the government and municipality — an unsustainable situation “without having any work,” Golber said. He said Eilat port has been losing about 4 million shekels, or $1,193,301, per month for the past 19 months.
“That’s the reason we decided, if the government is not going to help port of Eilat, then we will close the port,” Golber said.
The Port of Eilat is Israel’s third-largest port and is a major point of entry for goods bound for Israel from China, India and Australia, among other countries. Major imports include vehicles, oil and cattle, according to Israel’s Port Authority, while fertilizers and minerals were exported out through Eilat. The port also serves cruises and passenger ships.
Efforts by the United States and Israel’s other allies to stop the Houthi attacks — through punitive sanctions and repeated strikes on Yemen — have so far proved ineffective. The rebels have launched over 145 attacks on merchant vessels since October 2023, according to the White House. The Houthis have also fired attacks at the port city of Eilat.