Zim
(Israel Navigation Company, Ltd.)

Established in June 1945 by the Histadrut, the Jewish Agency and the Palestine Maritime League to create a domestic fleet capable of weaning Israel off of her dependency on foreign shipping. Zim is the term used in the Bible to mean ships (Num. 24:24). In 1965, the first Israeli constructed ship, the Esther, was built in Haifa and delivered to Zim. Today, Zim is the 10th largest container shipping company in the world. It operates more than 80 vessels and has become the dominant force in Israeli shipping.