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Shattering the Houthi Stronghold

(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) Oded Ailam - The missile that struck Ben Gurion Airport this week was a loud, deliberate message from Yemen's Houthis and a wake-up call to anyone still under the illusion that this is a local conflict. Predictably, Israel responded with an airstrike -- because that's what it does: blow something up, feel momentarily avenged, and move on. But let's not kid ourselves. These tit-for-tat retaliations, won't stop the next missile. They might win headlines, not wars. What's needed isn't another symbolic boom, but a real strategy -- one that ends Houthi dominance at its root. Despite representing only 35 percent of Yemen's population, the Houthis dominate vast regions of the country. Their power stems from strategic tribal alliances, religious zealotry, and totalitarian control over institutions. What was once a domestic civil war has now evolved into a geopolitical flashpoint. The Houthis have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital corridor for 15 percent of global trade. Recent Houthi strikes on Israel, including the hit on Ben Gurion Airport, reflect their effort to elevate themselves as the vanguard of the so-called "Axis of Resistance" against the West and Israel. The Houthis have proven time and again that Israeli retaliation alone doesn't deter them -- it feeds their narrative. While Saudi Arabia has spent nearly a decade fighting the Houthis, its recent shift toward diplomacy and de-escalation has arguably backfired. Peace talks and reduced air operations may have been meant to minimize civilian suffering, but to the Houthis, it's an invitation to expand. A Real Solution: Build a Coalition, Empower a Ground Force, Impose a Naval and Economic Blockade, and Rebuild Yemeni Governance.
2025-05-08 00:00:00
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