We Targeted!

That’s how every statement begins—issued by the spokesperson of Yemen’s ragtag militants after launching a projectile toward Israel. Should the missile be lucky enough to bypass the Iron Dome and land somewhere, leaving behind a small crater or, on occasion, damaging a residential building, the spokesperson promptly appears. 

He emerges from one of their tunnels, strikes a would-be Napoleonic pose (apologies to Napoleon, of course), and solemnly delivers the line: “Our forces have targeted…” Never mind whether the missile hit anything, exploded mid-air, or barely scratched the earth—the declaration is issued all the same, as though it were a strategic masterpiece.

Soon after, Israel responds with real firepower: Jets bomb Houthi airports, ports, weapons depots, and tunnel networks, leaving behind a trail of destruction and fires that rage for days—sometimes weeks. And while the world sees flames and craters, the militants remain out of sight, holed up in their underground warrens, chewing qat, and deliberating their next grand announcement.

Naturally, it will begin—as always—with:
“Our forces will strike the enemy at the right time.”

These pitiful theatrics bring to mind a well-known Syrian saying:
“I kept beating him until my own neck turned red!”

Arabic version

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