Tel Aviv: A consortium of Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) and Israel’s Gadot Group that owned the Haifa Port Company (HPC) in Israel has appointed former ambassador to India Ron Malka as the Executive Chairman of the port.
“I’m honoured and privileged to take office today as Executive Chairman of the Haifa Port Company, on behalf of @AdaniOnline. The experience and expertise of Adani and Gadot, combined with the dedication of the port workers, will take Haifa Port to new heights of prosperity,” his tweet read.
Reacting to Malka’s appointment in the Adani port, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra said that Malka was the one who lashed out at Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid for criticising Vivek Agnihotri’s film ‘The Kashmir Files’ at the International Film Festival of India. He is also known, she said, for his loyalty towards Adani.
In a tweet, she said “Israel’s former envoy to India appointed Adani’s Haifa port chairman! This man screamed from rooftops about how clean Adani’s Israeli dealings were. Condemned filmmaker Nadav Lapid for criticising Bollywood Hindutva propaganda film. Adani Hamam Mein toh Saare Nange Hai,”
In July 2022, a consortium led by India's Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) and Israel's Gadot Group won the tender for the privatization of the Port of Haifa, the second-largest port in Israel that handles over half of the country's container cargo.
With a winning bid of $1.18 billion, the Adani-Gadot consortium secured 100% ownership of the Haifa Port Company (HPC).
On January 10, 2023, the APSEZ-Gadot Group consortium completed the acquisition of HPC from the Israeli government. Under the agreement, APSEZ holds a 70% stake in the project, while Gadot holds the remaining 30%. The concession period for the Haifa port extends until 2054.
Ron Malka, who served as Israel's ambassador to India from 2018 to 2021, was not a career diplomat but instead had a strong background in business and finance. With an MBA and a PhD in economics, he was brought in to provide focus and direction to the economic ties between India and Israel.
Malka had previously provided financial advice and guidance to companies and institutions in the Israeli market, as well as international companies in public and private projects. He also served as an economic advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister's Commission to review the defence budget.
During his tenure as ambassador, Malka played an active role in advancing discussions on the India-Israel Free Trade Agreement and the Haifa port project. However, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 disrupted the momentum of these efforts.
Following his return to Israel in the latter half of 2021, Malka was appointed as the Director General of Israel's Ministry of Economy, which is responsible for Commerce, Industry, and Labour.