Israel is set to become a global transportation hub now that is slated to be a critical junction for an energy corridor linking Europe to India, via Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his weekly government meeting on Sunday.
“We have already turned Israel into a global hub in cyber, water, and gas. Now we will do the same in transportation, energy, and global communications,” Netanyahu said.
He spoke one day after US President Joe Biden unveiled a plan for an India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, already dubbed IMEC.
Linking India with Europe via railway
The plan would link India with Europe through rail, gas, and fiber optics lines that run through Israel and Saudi Arabia. The move comes as Washington and Riyadh are negotiating a new security deal that would include a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
“This vision, promoted by President Biden together with European countries and the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other countries, of an infrastructure corridor of railways, maritime connection, optical fibers, and energy lines, including gas and hydrogen (this is the future energy), which will pass from India.. through the Arabian Peninsula, through the State of Israel to Europe. It's a huge change,” Netanyahu said.
“The Land of Israel has always been a crossing point for empires that ran over us as part of their conquest campaigns.
“Now the State of Israel is becoming .. a central junction in the world economy. A bridge of peace that changes our face,” Netanyahu said.