Can Israel Become a Maritime Power?

The Commission on the Eastern Mediterranean recently issued a report examining regional security issues and opportunities for strategic coordination between Israel and the U.S. Cosponsored by Hudson Institute and the University of Haifa, the Commission reviewed the extraordinary military and political tumult in the Mediterranean region and examined the economic potential of Israel’s recent offshore gas finds. The report's recommendations include the need for Israel to develop a comprehensive maritime strategy and for the U.S. to implement policies that strengthen America's ability to shape events in the region.

The ten-person Commission included the former chiefs of the U.S. and Israeli navies, Admiral Gary Roughead and Admiral Ami Ayalon; former chair of the U.S. Senate Energy Committee, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana); former head of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission, Admiral Shaul Chorev; Hudson Distinguished Fellow and former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor; Hebrew University Professor Emeritus Eytan Sheshinski; former CEO of Noble Energy Charles Davidson; Hudson Senior Fellow and former U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith; Hudson Senior Fellow and former U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy Seth Cropsey; and Hudson Senior Fellow Arthur Herman.

On September 26, Hudson Institute hosted a panel to discuss the findings of this important new report. Speakers included Admiral Ami Ayalon, Admiral Shaul Chorev, Seth Cropsey, Douglas J. Feith, and Admiral Gary Roughead.