Channel 12 analyst Ohad Hemo described a high-stakes struggle between Turkey and Israel over the India-Middle East-Europe (IMEC) trade route, warning the corridor could pass through Syria and Turkey instead of Israel, with major financial and geopolitical consequences. Israeli media frames this as an intensifying rivalry for a strategic alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.
Channel 12 analyst Ohad Hemo said Monday evening that Turkey and Israel are locked in an all-out strategic race over the IMEC trade corridor, a proposed overland route linking India to Europe that would bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Hemo characterized the struggle as existential: either the corridor passes through Israel as originally envisioned, or through Syria and Turkey, which are actively maneuvering to seize control of the route.
"This is a fight for a great deal of money and influence,' Hemo told the N12 news broadcast. The analyst's framing aligns with a recent report by the Israeli outlet Winte, which The Zioneer covered on Saturday, describing Turkish and Syrian efforts to advance a rival trade corridor that would bypass Israel entirely. That earlier report indicated Turkey and Syria are promoting an alternative route shifting the trade axis from Jordan through Syria to Turkey, competing directly with the IMEC initiative.
The rivalry has intensified as the region reshapes trade patterns amid the war and shifting alliances. While the Turkish-Syrian alternative remains at the planning stage, Israeli officials view the race as critical to the country's long-term economic and diplomatic standing. No official Israeli government response to Hemo's remarks has been reported yet.
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