Israel's Plan to Build a New Canal as a Rival to Egypt's Suez Canal

israel, egypt - Israel is reportedly planning to construct a new canal connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to rival Egypt's Suez Canal.

Israel is said to be building a new canal that will connect the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, spanning approximately 258 km and estimated to cost $96 billion. The canal will start from the port city of Eilat in the Red Sea, pass through the Jordanian border, circumvent the Gaza Strip, and reach the Mediterranean Sea passing through the Negev Desert and the southern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba.

According to a report in the British Daily Express, the waterway, currently known as the Ben-Gurion Canal, will be a rival to Egypt's Suez Canal that connects Europe and Asia.

The canal is said to be 10 meters deeper than the Suez Canal, allowing ships of 110 meters in width and 300 meters in length to pass through.

With an estimated cost of $95.6 billion, the canal is projected to generate approximately $9 billion in revenue annually, hindering China's growing economic power and the Belt and Road Initiative.

Despite ongoing conflicts in the region, security concerns make the construction of the canal a challenging task. However, it is noted that the maintenance costs of the canal will be lower compared to those of the Suez Canal.

If Israel accepts a two-state solution with Palestine, the canal could potentially benefit both regions economically by allowing passage and revenue from both countries.

The canal, named after Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion, was initially designed in 1960.