When the missile struck Tel Aviv last night (Friday), it didn't just shatter windows - it shattered illusions. Despite three rounds of Israeli airstrikes, despite a U.S.-led coalition patrolling the Red Sea, despite 14 months of military pressure, the Houthis had achieved what many thought impossible: hitting Israel's commercial heart from 1,200 miles away.
"The genie is out of the bottle," says Danny Citrinowitch, who spent 25 years in Israeli military intelligence. "And we're still pretending we can wish it back in."
The Empty Port
In Eilat, Israel's southernmost city, the port stands eerily quiet. Cargo ships that once crowded its docks now take lengthy detours around Africa. It's a stark testament to how a ragtag group of Yemeni rebels has managed to effectively blockade the world's only Jewish state.
But the Houthis aren't just winning the economic war - they're winning the narrative. "Every missile that gets through, every ship that diverts, strengthens their position," explains Citrinowitch. "They're portraying themselves as the only force truly confronting Israel while Hezbollah holds back and Iran hesitates."
The Iran Puzzle
The conventional wisdom was simple: pressure Iran, and the Houthis would fall in line. But reality proved more complex. Even direct U.S. threats to Tehran failed to stop Houthi attacks in the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
A New Strategy?
As Israel grapples with wars in Gaza and tensions on its northern border, military planners face an uncomfortable truth: sporadic airstrikes aren't working. Citrinowitch and other experts are calling for a dramatic shift - a sustained campaign aimed at regime change in Yemen.
"We keep treating the symptoms while ignoring the disease," he argues. "Until the Houthi regime falls, the missiles will keep coming."
But with the U.S. wary of another Middle East entanglement and Israel stretched thin across multiple fronts, the question remains: Who's willing to put the genie back in the bottle?
Maariv contributed to this article.
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