In a daring move, Israeli engineers have launched an ambitious mega-project in the Negev Desert: the Ben-Gurion Canal. Spanning 60 miles, this canal aims to challenge Egypt’s dominance over the Suez Canal and reshape global trade dynamics. With immense engineering and political hurdles, can this audacious vision become reality? Join us as we explore Israel’s plan to transform the desert and its global implications.
The Ever Given Disaster
On March 23, 2021, the Suez Canal, a vital trade route since 1869, faced a catastrophic disruption. The Ever Given, one of the world’s largest container ships, was caught in a sandstorm and became wedged diagonally across the canal. Departing Malaysia on March 13, the ship was en route to Rotterdam, Felixstowe, and Hamburg via the Mediterranean. Despite experienced pilots guiding it through the canal’s narrow single-lane stretch, 31 mph winds (with gusts up to 45 mph) hit the ship’s 20,000 square-meter surface, equivalent to a giant sail. The immense wind pressure—over 270 tons—caused the ship to sway and veer, exacerbated by the “bank effect,” where water pressure pushed the bow away from the canal wall while sucking the stern toward it. Within 15 minutes, the Ever Given ran aground, its bow lodged in the eastern bank and stern in the western, blocking one of the world’s busiest trade routes.
Rescue efforts began immediately with seven small tugboats, but the ship remained stuck. Over days, 90,000 tons of ballast water were pumped out, and the Egyptian dredger Mashhour removed 30,000 cubic meters of sand. By March 29, with the help of the powerful tugboat Alp Guard, Dutch experts from Royal Boskalis Westminster, and a supermoon high tide, the ship was refloated. Towed to the Great Bitter Lake for inspection, it allowed the canal to reopen. However, the blockage disrupted 12% of global trade, including 1 million barrels of oil daily and 8% of liquefied natural gas, costing an estimated $9.8 billion per day, or $400 million per hour, according to Lloyd’s List.
The Suez Canal’s Historical Significance
The Suez Canal’s importance was cemented in 1888 by the Constantinople International Convention, guaranteeing free passage for all ships in peace and wartime. After World War I, Britain and France controlled Middle Eastern territories, including Egypt, under the League of Nations’ mandate system. Britain formalized control over Egypt in 1922, securing the Suez Canal, through which two-thirds of Europe’s oil flowed. In 1952, Gamal Abdel Nasser rose to power in Egypt, embracing pan-Arabism and nationalizing the canal in 1956, sparking tensions with Britain, France, and Israel. Nasser’s anti-Israel stance, rooted in anti-Semitism and denial of the Holocaust, led to Egypt blocking Israeli ships, cutting off vital trade routes.
In 1956, Israel, Britain, and France devised a secret plan to retake the canal. Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula, followed by British and French intervention under the guise of mediation. Though militarily successful, international pressure, led by the U.S., forced their withdrawal. The canal’s closure during the 1967 Six-Day War, lasting eight years, further highlighted its vulnerability, severely impacting Israel’s economy and global trade.
The Ben-Gurion Canal: A New Vision
The idea of an Israeli canal dates back to the 19th century, when the British explored linking the Red Sea, Dead Sea, and Mediterranean. In 1963, the U.S. considered a rival canal to counter Nasser’s nationalization, even proposing nuclear explosions to carve it—an idea abandoned for obvious reasons. Named after Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, the canal project gained traction in 1994. On April 2, 2021, Israel announced plans to begin construction by June, aiming to link the Gulf of Aqaba to the Mediterranean via the Arava Valley, Dead Sea Basin, and near the Gaza Strip—a 293-kilometer route, one-third longer than the Suez Canal’s 193 kilometers.
Costing an estimated $55 billion, the canal promises $6 billion in annual revenue, offering an alternative for ships too large for the Suez. Designed with two parallel channels, each 50 meters deep and 200 meters wide, it would accommodate vessels up to 300 meters long and 110 meters wide. Rocky walls would reduce maintenance compared to the Suez’s sandy banks, and the surrounding area could host new cities, hotels, and entertainment venues, transforming the region into a bustling hub.
Engineering Challenges
Unlike the Suez Canal, built with manual labor and later steam-powered dredgers over a decade (1859–1869), the Ben-Gurion Canal would leverage modern technology. The Suez’s 2014 expansion, completed in one year, dug a parallel channel using advanced equipment. The Ben-Gurion Canal, facing rugged terrain and no pre-existing waterway, is estimated to take 5–10 years and require 300,000 workers. Excavation would involve stabilizing walls, sealing leaks, installing locks, and pumping water from the Red Sea or Mediterranean. A related proposal, the Red Sea-Dead Sea Conveyance, aims to address the Dead Sea’s decline (dropping 148 feet in 50 years) via a 110-mile pipeline with desalination plants and hydroelectric stations. Estimated at $10 billion, this project stalled in 2021 due to regional tensions.
Israel’s Water Innovations
Israel’s expertise in reverse osmosis desalination, supplying water to nearly 10 million people, supports its canal ambitions. Five Mediterranean desalination plants replenish the Sea of Galilee, a vital freshwater source. Proposals to pump desalinated water into the lake aim to sustain it amid rising temperatures and demand, though ensuring water flow back to the Mediterranean remains a challenge.
Strategic and Political Implications
The Ben-Gurion Canal could reduce Israel’s reliance on the Suez, controlled by Egypt, and enhance its strategic autonomy. Equipped with surveillance, laser-based imaging, and weapon-detection barriers, it would bolster security, potentially diminishing the Suez’s role in U.S. military support for Israel. However, the canal’s route near Gaza poses challenges. A direct path through Gaza would save billions but requires control of the territory, raising significant political and humanitarian concerns. Economically, the canal threatens Egypt’s $9.4 billion Suez revenue (2023) and could disrupt China’s Belt and Road Initiative and energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
An Alternative Route: Eilat’s Port
Israel explored expanding Eilat’s Red Sea port with a railway to bypass the Suez. However, environmental damage, political tensions with Egypt, and insufficient cargo capacity made this unviable. A 2012 rail link for passengers and limited cargo was a modest step, far from the canal’s transformative potential.
Global Impact
If realized, the Ben-Gurion Canal could reshape global trade, offering a secure, modern alternative to the Suez. Its success would position Israel as a major player in shipping routes for oil, grain, and other commodities, potentially sparking economic and geopolitical shifts. Yet, with Gaza’s complexities, environmental challenges, and Egypt’s economic stake, the project’s future remains uncertain, promising to send ripples through global economies if it comes to fruition.
