U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who visited Israel for the second time since the outbreak of the war, reaffirmed the United States' unwavering support for Israel at a joint press conference with Israeli Defense Minister Garrand. "U.S. support for Israel's security is unshakable, and Israel is not alone," he said. ”
In response to the previous U.S. ** call for Israel to accurately attack the Hamas leadership based on intelligence, Austin said: "This does not mean the end of the operation, it shows that you are more precise and more focused on specific goals." Of course, he stressed that the protection of civilians is a strategic imperative for Israel.
Austin's statement once again refutes the rumor that the United States wants Israel to end the war by the end of the year does not exist, of course, even if it exists, Israel will not buy it, as for more precise and specific target strikes, this is basically nonsense, Gaza is so big, Israel can't think about it without precision. Austin has participated in the fight against the Islamic State, and of course knows that the proportion of civilians caused by Israel in the ground operation in Gaza is much lower than that of the United States in the fight against Iraq and the Islamic State, although Israel has caused the ** of civilians, which has been repeatedly criticized by the international community, including the United States.
But the highlight of Austin's trip to the Middle East was the announcement of a "Guardians of Prosperity" campaign aimed at escorting ships passing through the Red Sea region and fighting the Houthis, involving 10 countries, including the African country of Seychelles and the Arab state of Bahrain, which would give the operation a broader representation of more than just the West.
Of course, the Houthis are not showing weakness, and the leader of the group, Mohammed Ali Houthi, told Iran**: "The ships of those countries that act against us will be attacked by us in the Red Sea." "Then after the bomb hits the head, let's see if the mouth is still hard.
Regarding Israel's role, on the 18th local time, Israeli Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi said on a Russian TV program, "Under the attack of the Houthi 'Ansar Allah' movement in Yemen, Israel is ready to fight the Houthis in the Red Sea region if necessary to ensure the safety of ships and freedom of navigation in the region." ”
The Houthi attacks may have affected Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip to some extent. "Operation Red Sea is inevitable." Israel could discuss this issue with other countries involved in the fight against the Houthis. ”
These words of the Israeli ambassador to Russia are absolutely meaningful, and in fact, they can be regarded as informing Russia that your illusions have failed. In addition to diverting the West's attention to Ukraine, the Israeli-Kazakhstan war has also allowed Israel to replace Russia as the object of siege, and the obstruction of the Red Sea shipping lanes will inevitably make international energy soar, thereby pushing up the inflation momentum that has just been reduced in the United States, which is certainly not what Biden wants, but this is not necessarily what Russia wants to see, after all, Russia can benefit from energy.