Residents of the southern Israeli resort city of Eilat called police after seeing what appeared to be two Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen in a small boat, paddling towards the city from the Red Sea.
Police officers called to the scene didn’t stay long: they knew it was a satire skit, featuring comedians Eli Finish and Mariano Idelman, being filmed by Keshet Media Group’s “Eretz Nehederet” program.
הערב החות'ים עושים את אילת ? המערכון המלא בארץ נלחמת, מיד אחרי החדשות pic.twitter.com/P09skapE7y
— ארץ נהדרת (@Eretz_Nehederet) December 19, 2023
The two actors, dressed as two uniformed, flag-waving members of Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthi) militia, are seen on a mission to get a closer look at the Red Sea resort city.
The skit, entirely in Hebrew, is hilarious particularly for those who understand Israeli “in” jokes. In typical Israeli style, it pokes fun at the Yemeni Houthis who say they have “joined the fight” against Israel launched on October 7th by Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
There is, however, a serious side to all this, as there is to most Israeli wartime humor.
Eilat has been targeted with Houthi drones and missiles since the start of the war against Israel launched on October 7th.
The Houthis are vowing to paralyze maritime commerce by attacking ships sailing in the Red Sea to or from the State of Israel, and in fact they may have succeeded, at least temporarily.
7 Shipping Companies Suspend Red Sea Transit Due to Houthi Attacks
At least seven major shipping companies have suspended transit by their vessels through the Red Sea and Bab El Mandeb Strait due to the risk. Likewise, several maritime insurance firms have classified the waterway as a “high risk area” due to the attacks, raising insurance rates for the route accordingly.
On Monday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced during a visit to Israel that the United States has formed a multinational task force to “protect navigation in the Red Sea,” comprised of the UK, France, Italy, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and Seychelles.
The head of the Houthi rebels on Tuesday expressed contempt in response to the announcement. “The United States has repeatedly sought direct communication with the Yemeni Republic in Sana’a, which was rejected. It is below our honor to have direct communication with the killers of children in Yemen and Gaza. America is terrorism,” Mohammad Ali Al-Houthi said.
