Israel's PM pitches fiber optic cable idea to link Asia and the Middle East to Europe

Israel PM Netanyahu proposes infrastructure projects linking Asia, Europe via Israel, Cyprus. Talks with Cypriot President Christodoulides precede trilateral meeting with Greek PM Mitsotakis.

Israel's Prime Minister on Sunday floated the idea of building infrastructure projects such as a fiber optic cable linking countries in Asia and the Arabian Peninsula with Europe through Israel and Cyprus.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he's “quite confident” such an infrastructure “corridor” linking Asia to Europe through Israel and Cyprus is feasible.

He said such projects could happen if Israel normalises relations with other countries in the region. The 2020 U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords normalised relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and the Biden administration is trying to establish official ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

“An example and the most obvious one is a fiber optic connection. That's the shortest route. It's the safest route. It's the most economic route,” Mr. Netanyahu said after talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.

The Israeli leader's pitch is itself an extension of proposed energy links with Cyprus and Greece as part of growing collaboration on energy in the wake of discoveries of significant natural gas deposits in the economic zones of both Israel and Cyprus.

Mr. Netanyahu repeated that he and Mr. Christodoulides are looking to follow through on plans for a 2,000-megawatt undersea electricity cable known as the EurAsia Interconnector connecting Israel with Cyprus and Greece that aims to act as an energy supply back-up for both Israel and Cyprus.

“You want to be connected to other sources of power that can allow a more optimal use of power or give you power when there is a failure in your own country,” Mr. Netanyahu said. “That is something that we're discussing seriously and we hope to achieve.”