Smoke rises as seen from the Israel-Lebanon border in northern Israel, Nov. 12, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza to the south, together with the ongoing clashes with Hezbollah to the north and Houthi rebels attacking Red Sea shipping from Yemen, has created an impending food security crisis for the Jewish state, according to an expert who spoke to The Algemeiner.

“Israel is heavily reliant on imports for highly consumed food such as beef and fish … More than 70 percent of our food is imported by sea, as well as 85 percent of beef,” said Alla Voldman-Rantzer, vice president of strategy at the Good Food Institute (GFI) in Israel, which is part of an international nonprofit aimed towards building a sustainable, healthy, and just food system.

The institute, explained Voldman-Rantzer, works to “bring forward technology that assists with alternative forms of beef, chicken, fish, and eggs.” Its work has played a role in the growing alternative meat sector, of which Israel is a major global player, birthing companies such as Aleph Farms and Redefine Meat. GFI provides scientific resources for researchers, investors, and startups, all with the common goal of “making Israel a leader” in the food production space and improving the country’s overall food security — defined as a country’s ability to provide adequate access of nutritious and sufficient food to its population.

However, the war in Gaza sparked by the Hamas terror group’s Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel has presented a direct threat to that vision.

“The ongoing war has created a serious crisis,” she said, noting that Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control much of Yemen including the capital, have since October attacked several ships in the Red Sea they say have Israeli links or are sailing to Israel, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The rebel movement — whose slogan is “death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory to Islam” — has also claimed responsibility for attempted drone and missile strikes targeting Israel itself.

As a result of the Red Sea attacks, a number of major shipping lines have announced they would forgo the vital trade route and instead opt for a longer, pricier journey around Africa.

The result, said Voldman-Rantzer, is “higher prices and lower supply” for the Israeli consumer.

Her organization has also been urging the Israeli government to make sure plans are made before a potential full-scale war opens up in the north with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terror group based in Lebanon. The Israel-Lebanon border has seen intense fighting between Israeli and Hezbollah forces since Oct. 7.

Such instability at Israel’s borders poses a threat to food that’s not only imported but also grown domestically.

“Most of Israel’s farms are located in the periphery areas, outside of the center of the country … [and] the periphery is very unstable,” she explained.

According to government statistics, roughly 75 percent of all of the country’s crops are grown in the areas around the Gaza border. In the north, meanwhile, it is estimated by the Agricultural Ministry that 70 percent of the eggs originate from areas under risk or evacuated due to Hezbollah rocket fire.

Israel generally has a strong agricultural sector, with a majority of the country’s fruits and vegetables grown domestically — although with out-of-season products imported.

Due to the war, however, many of these farms have been left desolate with crops completely abandoned. Those that are possible to be harvested have been heavily burdened by the fact that Palestinian and foreign laborers are not working.

Palestinian workers have not been allowed in Israel since Palestinian terrorists led by Hamas invaded the Jewish state on Oct. 7 and massacred 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The terrorists also abducted 240 people as hostages back to Hamas-ruled Gaza. Meanwhile, many foreign workers have returned to their countries of origin since the outbreak of the war — for example, the more than 25,000 Thai workers in Israel before Oct. 7 has dwindled significantly.

Many Israelis have tried to fill the gap, but it may not be enough to ensure the security of the country’s food supply, which according to Voldman-Rantzer must “be addressed urgently.”

“The Agriculture Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the government … everyone is saying a lot but no one party has stepped to the plate to make a difference,” she said.

The GFI is hoping the government creates an emergency plan to address food security — a step that critics say is long overdue, noting Israel is the only member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) without one.

According to Voldman-Rantzer, it is essential for Israel to “strengthen the resilience of the food industry.”