| المستخلص: |
The Horn of Africa (HOA) region is of vital geostrategic global significance, as it holds four vital maritime shores; the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean, and the Gulf of Mozambique, thus, controlling the global trade routes, particularly the oil transported from the Arab Gulf to Europe and USA. Besides, the HOA retains undiscovered natural and mineral wealth, such as oil, gold, uranium, and natural gas, as well as a significant water wealth that makes it the largest water reservoir in the world, in addition to a rich animal and plant wealth. On the other hand, Israel is short of natural resources, raw materials, and markets required for industrial growth amidst the imposed Arab economic blockade. Israel also suffers maritime isolation from the vital corridors of the Red Sea whose entrances and outlets are controlled by Arab countries. Moreover, it needs a strategic headquarter for its intelligence activities and hostile operations towards Arab countries. Therefore, the Israeli orientation towards the HOA and its states was inevitable to strengthen its existence. Therefore, this study aimed to highlight the vital position occupied by HOA in the Israeli strategic stand, by reviewing economic relations and trade exchange between Israel and HOA countries in the period from 2015 to 2021. The study concluded an insignificant volume of trade exchange between Israel and HOA, as it constitutes only a very small percentage of the volume of their foreign trade, and the trade balance of those transactions, from 2015 to 2021, was always in favor of Israel. This finding suggests that the essence of the Israeli policy towards Africa in general, and HOA in particular, is to ensure its presence in the region, with the aim of achieving political and military gains, undermining Arab influence and destabilizing it, overcoming the state of semi-isolation in the middle of the Arab neighborhood, and finally finding potential markets for its industries.
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