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On October 19, Yemen’s Houthi rebels began launching attacks on Israel’s Red Sea resort city of Eilat and on cargo ships passing through the strait in the southern Red Sea, aligning themselves with Hamas against Israel. At first, few understood the seriousness of these attacks from radical Shi’ite Muslims in a country that does not border Israel. Israelis were even posting memes on social media poking fun at them. But it’s no joke. The Houthis have managed to disrupt international shipping routes significantly, crippling worldwide trade and drawing counterattacks from US and UK naval forces. Who are the Houthis? Why did they get involved and what do they aim to accomplish? We asked an Israeli expert to explain.  Abigail Klein Leichman |
