Majority of Israelis Support Aiding Saudi Arabia Against Houthis, Poll Finds

A recent poll indicates that a majority of Israelis, 54%, favor providing assistance to Saudi Arabia in its conflict with the Houthi movement. For a significant portion of these supporters, 38% of all respondents, aid is contingent on the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. An additional 16% are willing to support Riyadh even without immediate political concessions.

Conversely, 26% of those surveyed oppose offering any help to Saudi Arabia, while 20% remain undecided. The poll was conducted by Maariv between September 16-17 and included 4,089 participants.

This sentiment emerges as Israel closely monitors Houthi activities in the Red Sea. The Houthis have recently expanded their control in the region, securing key islands and a port near the strategically vital Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which handles a substantial volume of international maritime traffic. Israeli officials note that past military operations by Israel, the United States, and Saudi Arabia have failed to effectively deter the Houthis.

According to a senior Israeli intelligence official cited by Maariv, previous military actions have not achieved the desired level of deterrence. Despite these efforts, the Houthis have continued to enhance their military and intelligence capabilities, becoming a more formidable adversary in recent years. Israel's current focus, the official stated, is on forming a regional coalition to counter the growing threat, rather than initiating preemptive strikes.