Thursday, March 02, 2006

Strange bedfellows

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/03/02/port.security/index.html


3/2 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The chairman of Israel's largest shipping firm has strongly backed a deal that would give a United Arab Emirates-based shipping company control of several U.S. port terminals, while another GOP leader expressed strong opposition… In a letter to Sen. Hillary Clinton…Israel’s Zim[’s]…Idon Ofer called state-owned DP World a strong business partner, despite the United Arab Emirates' boycott of Israel. Full article here.

The article explains that despite the boycott, Zim’s boats are allowed to call at Dubai, provided they fly the flags of countries other than Israel.

I wonder if Zim truly loves DP World or if they believe (or have been told) that they’re pita crisps if they don’t play along.

Word’s also out that Sen. Clinton’s husband has advised DP World on the deal. I expect to hear the same about Mrs. Schumer, next.

The article also mentions an appeal by “U.S.-based cargo handler Eller & Co.” Is this the player in the shadows who I speculated about in my previous post?

Shabbat shalom.