The director of the Shipping and Ports Authority, Zadok Redker, today (Thursday) gave a sharp criticism of Ashdod Port Chairman Shaul Schneider.
This, following Schneider's appeal yesterday and his demand to deny "the letter of certification of the Chinese port until the end of the war, and the cessation of his representative's participation in sensitive situation assessments".
Ashdod port workers play football while the goods are waiting to be unloaded (archive) // Grain Importers Union
Schneider's request is based, according to him, on the fact that "the development of the war depends on the factors defined by the West as an 'axis of evil', and include China, Russia and Iran. It is easy to see how the coordination between the countries is no less than perfect when it comes to harming national and economic strength of Israel. China is one of the world powers that has not only turned its back on Israel, but is also openly working against it. In fact, it is imposing a goods boycott on Israel through a direct order to the shipping companies Cuzco and Ausial to stop visiting the country's ports."
In a letter obtained by Israel Hayom, Redker responds to the request of the chairman of the port, and criticizes him harshly: "We were surprised to receive your letter, which includes information that is not accurate to the point of being wrong, written in a trending manner, that may mislead the public and cause severe damage to Israel's maritime trade .
In addition, it harms Israel's foreign relations and may even harm the war efforts.
Your letter reflects a lack of expertise in the industry and we take very seriously the very writing of it, especially its distribution, including the way it was done."
Zadok Redker: "Your letter reflects a lack of knowledge in the industry and we take the very act of writing it very seriously."
Ashdod port (archive), photo: Liron Moldovan
It should be noted that the Shipping and Ports Authority is the authority responsible by law for regulatory oversight and the promotion of Israeli shipping and the Israeli port industry.
We will also note that since the outbreak of the war there have been growing concerns in the infrastructure industry regarding the high involvement of Chinese companies in Israel in the fields of ports, infrastructure and transportation - such as the Gush Dan light rail, the Carmel tunnels and more.
Concerns have increased since the Chinese shipping company Cuzco stopped operating in Israel.
Redker writes to the chairman of the Port of Ashdod that SIPG, which operates the Gulf Port, is an Israeli company and is owned by ZHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL PORT GROUP CO. LTD (SIPG). According to Redker, "the company is obliged to act in accordance with the regulation and to the Israeli laws applicable to it, and in accordance with the letter of authorization given to it for the provision of port services"
"business decision"
In his letter, Redker also refers to the decision of the Chinese company Cuzco to operate in Israel, and writes that it is a business decision.
According to him, "the decision of the shipping company COSCO to stop all service to and from the State of Israel, in order to avoid a conflict with the Houthi forces operating in the Red Sea region, although it may slightly harm the flow of trade to and from Israel, is not appropriate. After all, this is a business decision, and as far as we know it is It is not an official position of the Chinese government, and it cannot be projected from it on the company's activities, or other shipping companies."
"This is a business decision."
Chinese Cuzco, photo: Reuters
Beyond that, Redker points out that "the OOCL company continues to serve the Israeli trade, and operates in the port of Haifa and the port of Ashdod, so the reference to it is incorrect, and therefore out of place. In conclusion, to assure you that the State of Israel, including the Ministry of Transportation and RSPAN, are working on all levels to ensure the security of the country's citizens.
The company operates according to its letter of authorization, and the instructions given to it by the authorized parties.
Therefore, your letter goes beyond the role of the Ashdod Port Company, which is in fact a company that competes with the company in providing port services, and raises suspicion about the purpose of sending the letter by you, lest it be sent for the purposes stated in it."
"To bring up these issues at this time, it is appropriate to check the data carefully and coordinate your positions on this sensitive issue with the state authorities before publishing them publicly," he concludes the letter with a rebuke.
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