1940s
ZIM was founded on June 7, 1945, as the ZIM Palestine Navigation Company Ltd (Hebrew: צים חברת השיט הארץ-ישראלית בע״מ), by the Jewish Agency, the Israel Maritime League and the Histadrut (General Federation of Laborers in the Land of Israel).[2] The first ship was purchased in partnership with Harris and Dixon (based in London) in 1947. This vessel was refurbished, renamed SS Kedma, and sailed to the future state of Israel in the summer of 1947.[5] After the State of Israel was established in 1948, the company was renamed ZIM Israel Navigation Company Ltd.[6] During its first years, its main task was transporting hundreds of thousands of immigrants to the emerging state.[5] 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. The company continued to purchase more ships, among them were SS Negba, SS Artza and SS Galila.
During Israel’s War of Independence (1947-1949), the company was the sole maritime connection with the State of Israel, supplying food, freight and military equipment.
1950s
In 1953, some of the money from the reparations agreement between Israel and West Germany was allocated to the purchase and construction of new ships. The SS Bergensfjord, renamed Jerusalem, sailed the Israel-New York route,[7] Another ship purchased with reparations money was the SS Theodor Herzl.[8]
The company took delivery of its first new vessels, the 9800 ton passenger-cargo liners SS Israel and SS Zion - later known as SS Dolphin IV, in 1955 and 1956, respectively.
1957 saw the delivery of two more new ocean liners, the 10,000 ton sister ships SS Jerusalem and SS Theodor Herzl, followed by the more modest, 7,800 ton SS Moledet in 1961, which featured an all-Tourist Class layout, targeted principally to American tourists looking for affordable transportation to the Holy Land.
ZIM was invited in 1957 by the Government of Ghana to assist the setting up and management of a national shipping line. Black Star Line was formed with a 40% participation by ZIM and principally operated cargo services from West Africa.[9]
1960s
In 1950s and 1960s, ZIM concentrated on passenger ships, alongside a constant expansion of the cargo shipping business. Passenger liners were a common means of international transport before the emergence of cheap air transport, and pleasure cruises were also popular. ZIM sailed the Mediterranean Sea, as well as having regular routes to the United States. Some of its ships cruised to the Caribbean during the winter. 1964 saw the completion of the 25,000 ton ocean liner SS Shalom, which turned out to be a failure, marking the end of the ZIM passenger shipping era.[10]
Due to rising airline competition and the market failure of the expensive new Shalom, passenger services were gradually phased out between 1966 and 1969, as ZIM refocused on cargo shipping. Jerusalem was chartered out to British-based P&O Cruises in 1966 to become their Miami, then sold entirely in 1968. The sisters Israel and Zion were both sold in 1966, while the expensive, new Shalom was retired and sold in 1967. Theodor Herzl and Moledet completed ZIM's final transatlantic passenger sailings during 1969 and were sold off, marking the end of the company's passenger division.
During the 1960s, ZIM started to turn its focus to cargo ships, and obtained several special-purpose vessels, including refrigerated ships and oil tankers. ZIM transported crude oil from Iran to Israel and oil byproducts from Israel to Europe.
1970s
In the 1970s, ZIM expanded into the container shipping business. ZIM ordered six such ships, and gradually made this its main line of business.
1980s
In 1981, one of the company's ships, Mezada, was lost at sea. ZIM went through a lull in maritime shipping at the beginning of the 1980s.
1990s
ZIM built 15 more ships in Germany in the 1990s. At this time, the ownership of ZIM was divided between the Israeli government and Israel Corporation.[11]
