{
  "id": 10274353,
  "title": "Israel cannot secure the Red Sea without an African strategy - opinion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/israel-cannot-secure-the-red-sea-without-an-african-strategy-opinion",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-27T19:20:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-909421"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Israel cannot secure the Red Sea without an African strategy, according to an Ethiopian-born Israeli-American. The country has been caught off guard by the threats posed by pirates, militias, and other dangers in the region, just as it was previously caught by surprise by the Hamas attack on October 7th. While Israel has been patrolling the area and intercepting missiles, it lacks a comprehensive strategy for dealing with the Red Sea's challenges.\n\nAs someone who knows both Ethiopian and Israeli societies, the author argues that Africa is not a map to be discovered in security briefings. The author is the descendant of Ethiopian Jews who have long prayed for a homeland, and an American who has witnessed how institutions, alliances, and public accountability can turn power into lasting influence. From this perspective, Israel's approach to the Red Sea is incomplete.\n\nThe problem extends beyond the Houthi threat. Iranian-backed forces are also a concern in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while piracy is rising in the Gulf of Aden and Eritrea remains a closed, militarized dictatorship. Ethiopia, the second-most-populous nation in Africa and the headquarters of the African Union, relies on Djibouti for access to maritime trade.\n\nThe issue is not just a collection of separate emergencies, but rather a regional failure. Maritime authorities have recorded two dozen incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region in just three months. Renewed Houthi advances along Yemen's coast have heightened concerns about the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while conflict has displaced families toward Djibouti. The cost of these threats extends to American consumers, European industries, African families, and Israeli businesses.\n\nWhile warships and aircraft can deter some threats, they cannot create legitimate institutions, generate employment, or resolve disputes between nations. The deeper analysis must confront an uncomfortable Ethiopian history. The leadership of the Tigray People's Liberation Front and the Eritrean People's Liberation Front emerged as guerrilla movements and later controlled Addis Ababa and Asmara. These leaders are viewed by the author as a secretive, ethnically divisive, and self-serving political cartel that has left authoritarianism, disputed borders, economic dependency, and unfinished tribal wars in their wake.\n\nThe ancient Kingdom of Aksum reached the Red Sea coast through Adulis, and Eritrea's 1993 independence referendum cannot erase the reality of the region's historical connections. However, the international community should not pretend that one ballot settled every question fairly for every affected population. The process did not adequately address the security of Afar communities, whose historic homeland crosses Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti, nor Ethiopia's maritime future or long-term rights.\n\nAn African-led partnership to secure the Red Sea is necessary. Israel should propose a joint initiative involving Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, and other willing regional partners. This partnership should establish a permanent regional secretariat, conduct joint maritime exercises, create a piracy prosecution framework, and fund infrastructure that connects inland economies to multiple ports. Importantly, local Afar and coastal representatives must be included in decision-making processes.\n\nThe partnership must also address the root causes of piracy and extremism, which thrive in areas where young people lack opportunities, governments fail to provide justice, and outside powers arrive with weapons rather than investment. Investment in ports, railways, education, water, agriculture, and coastal employment is essential to security, not charity. Importantly, Ethiopian Israelis, who understand African political culture, Jewish history, and Israel's security concerns, should play an active role in diplomacy, national security, intelligence, and African missions.",
  "summary": "The Red Sea threat goes beyond the Houthis. Israel needs an African strategy to protect trade and build lasting regional security.",
  "key_points": [
    "Israel needs African strategy for Red Sea security, warns Ethiopian-born Israeli-American",
    "Ethiopia, Africa's second-most-populous nation, relies on Djibouti for maritime trade",
    "Proposed African-led partnership to establish regional secretariat and address piracy root causes"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "Israel cannot call itself a democracy while excluding Arabs from political power - opinion",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/israel-cannot-call-itself-a-democracy-while-excluding-arabs-from",
        "published": "2026-09-27T15:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}