Strike hits Israel’s national shipping company over planned sale in International Shipping News 17/02/2026 Workers at Israel’s national shipping company, Zim Integrated Shipping Services, launched an indefinite strike on Sunday to protest plans to sell the firm to German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd, warning the move could threaten national emergency preparedness. The strike follows a statement from Hapag-Lloyd earlier in the day confirming advanced takeover negotiations. The statement did not disclose the amount, but several Israeli media valued the potential deal at over 3.5 billion U.S. dollars. Union representatives said they were not consulted about the sale and expressed concerns over job security. They also warned that foreign ownership could jeopardize Israel’s ability to transport essential supplies such as ammunition, medicines, and food during crises, as Zim is considered a strategic asset. In response, Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev ordered a review of the deal’s implications and the government’s ability to intervene through its “golden share” in the company, according to a statement issued by her office. This special share grants the state veto rights over ownership changes and ensures the company can serve national interests in emergencies, said the statement. Israeli media reported that under the proposed deal, Hapag-Lloyd would acquire Zim’s international operations, while Israeli investor FIMI would take over its domestic activities, with the state retaining its “golden share.” The sale drew opposition from Israel’s largest labor union, Histadrut, and Haifa’s Mayor Yona Yahav. Haifa is home to Zim’s headquarters and one of the country’s two largest ports. Both emphasized Zim’s critical role in national security and emergency logistics, warning that foreign control could disrupt supply chains, harm Israel’s emergency preparedness and lead to mass layoffs. Source: Xinhua 2026-02-17 hellenicshippingnews... window.___gcfg = {lang: 'en-US'}; (function(w, d, s) { function go(){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], load = function(url, id) { if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.src = url; js.id = id; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }; load('//connect.facebook.net/en/all.js#xfbml=1', 'fbjssdk'); load('https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js', 'gplus1js'); load('//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js', 'tweetjs'); } if (w.addEventListener) { w.addEventListener("load", go, false); } else if (w.attachEvent) { w.attachEvent("onload",go); } }(window, document, 'script')); tweet Share