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ZIM ordered six such ships, and gradually made this its main line of business. In the 1970s, ZIM expanded into the container shipping business. ZIM transported crude oil from Iran to Israel and oil byproducts from Israel to Europe. ĭuring the 1960s, ZIM started to turn its focus to cargo ships, and obtained several special-purpose vessels, including refrigerated ships and oil tankers. A similar joint venture - Burma Five Star Line - was made with the Burmese Government in 1959. Black Star Line was formed with a 40% participation by ZIM and principally operated cargo services from West Africa. ZIM was invited in 1957 by the Government of Ghana to assist the setting up and management of a national shipping line. 1964 saw the completion of the ocean liner SS Shalom, which turned out to be a failure, marking the end of the ZIM passenger shipping era. Some of its ships cruised to the Caribbean during the winter. ZIM sailed the Mediterranean Sea, as well as having regular routes to the United States. Passenger liners were a common means of international transport before the emergence of cheap air transport, and pleasure cruises were also popular. In 1950s and 1960s, ZIM concentrated on passenger ships, alongside a constant expansion of the cargo shipping business. The SS Dolphin IV, acquired in 1956, was renamed SS Zion. The SS Bergensfjord, renamed Jerusalem, sailed the Israel-New York route, Another ship purchased with reparations money was the SS Theodor Herzl. In 1953, some of the money from the reparations agreement between Israel and West Germany was allocated to the purchase of new ships. ĭuring 1947–1949 Palestine war, the company was the sole maritime connection with the State of Israel, supplying food, freight and military equipment. The company continued to purchase more ships, among them SS Negba, SS Artza and SS Galila. Some of the other ships that had been used for clandestine immigration before the establishment of Israel as a state were confiscated by the British Mandate authorities and later joined the company's fleet. During its first years, its main task was transporting hundreds of thousands of immigrants to the emerging state. After the State of Israel was established in 1948, the company was renamed ZIM Israel Navigation Company Ltd. This vessel was refurbished, renamed SS Kedma, and sailed to the future state of Israel in the summer of 1947.
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The first ship was purchased in partnership with Harris and Dixon (based in London) in 1947. ZIM was founded on June 7, 1945, as the ZIM Palestine Navigation Company Ltd, by the Jewish Agency, the Israel Maritime League and the Histadrut (General Federation of Laborers in the Land of Israel).