Israel Can No Longer Wait to Tackle Houthis and Iran

The night-time monster under our beds has transformed into the air raid siren. For half of Israel’s population living in or near the country’s Center, three such sirens have jolted us awake in the past week. We remember the times: 1:44 a.m., 2:36 a.m., and 3:44 a.m.

The last interception was successful; the first two were not. I visited what remains of the Ramat Efal School, where a ballistic missile demolished an entire building. Israel is living in a reality of miracles. Had children been in that building, even in a bomb shelter, the outcome could have been a mass casualty event. Just a day later, another ballistic missile struck a playground situated between buildings in a shared Arab-Jewish neighborhood. A few meters in any direction, and the casualties could have been devastating.

The remains of one of the main buildings of the Ramat Efal (Ramat Gan) Elementary school after a Houthi ballistic missile struck it in the middle of the night. (Gil Lewinsky)

This all said, we all know that if the Houthi missile does breach our defenses, a whole building can collapse. We can no longer risk taking half hearted measures during air raid sirens. After such a night, the mental affect lingers. It is not good for a population’s mental health.

This reality is untenable. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have threatened retaliation, including the assassination of the Yemeni Houthi leadership. So far, these threats have amounted to escalated rhetoric. While past campaigns against Hamas and Hezbollah have involved aerial attacks, the Center of Israel hasn’t faced nightly air raids since the 2021 conflict with Hamas.

The situation is complex because the true orchestrator behind these nightly missile attacks is Iran. The Yemeni Houthis have become a testing ground for Iran’s missile defense systems, allowing Tehran to refine its capabilities and probe Israel’s defense grid. Twice recently, they have succeeded in breaching that shield. For Iran, it’s a strategic experiment conducted from afar—ensuring that Israelis lose sleep while Iranians rest easy.

If the Houthis consistently pierce Israel’s anti-missile shield, it could pave the way for a large-scale Iranian ballistic missile attack with catastrophic results. There is no room for failure.

Waiting for US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in a month’s time may also be futile. By then, the country risks becoming a case study in post-traumatic stress disorder. There is no guarantee that Trump will prioritize confronting the Houthis or Iran. His recent threats against Hamas seem focused solely on the seven American hostages held by the group, with little indication of broader plans. Without a clear American interest, relying on US intervention is misguided.

The Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, must act now to protect its citizens. The three previous attacks on Yemen via Israel’s Air Force were a good pyrotechnics show but did not ultimately deter the Houthis.

Instead, here are some recommended actions:

1. Support Yemen’s legitimate government against the Houthis. Israel should back an offensive similar to its efforts in Syria but with greater intensity by Yemen’s de-jure rulers based in Aden. Reports suggest Yemen’s government has begun attacking Houthi-controlled areas, and Israel should actively assist. While not a short-term solution, this strategy could ultimately dismantle the Houthi statelet.
   

   Map showing the lines of control in Arabic and Hebrew in the Yemeni Civil War. (Abu Ali Express, used with permission)
2. Deploy Jericho missiles. Why rely exclusively on expensive airstrikes 2,000 kilometers away when Israel has its own surface-to-surface missiles? As some commentators on Israeli television have noted, retaliating with ballistic missiles would not only demonstrate Israel’s capabilities but also provide a more practical way to target Houthi positions on a near-daily basis.
3. Target Iran. The Iranian regime is the true puppet master, supplying the Houthis with surplus missiles while denying responsibility. Israel may need to accelerate plans to confront Iran directly. Both Mossad Chief David Barnea and former coalition partner Benny Gantz agree that this is the necessary course of action.

The most frightening phase of this war may be upon us. We can only hope that nightly sirens and minimal casualties remain our greatest concerns. As founding Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion once said, “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.”

Despite the miraculous survival of two waves of ballistic missile attacks, the quick collapse of Hezbollah, and the Syrian government’s retreat, the situation is unsustainable. The Israeli people are human beings. They deserve a better life than to become a ballistic missile science experiment.

The time for action is now or very soon.