“A very heavy price for its aggression” is the central phrase in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s message, encapsulating the core of his deterrence strategy towards the Houthis and other regional foes. It is a promise that the pain inflicted in retaliation will far outweigh any perceived gain from the initial attack.
This concept of “price” is crucial. It reframes the conflict in transactional terms. The Houthis chose to “purchase” an attack on Israel with a cluster bomb missile. In return, Israel is forcing them to “pay” with destroyed infrastructure, a crippled economy, and human casualties.
The price is deliberately set to be prohibitively high. The goal is to make any future aggression seem like a disastrously bad bargain. The destruction in Sanaa—the wrecked fuel depot, the dark power stations, the six dead and 86 wounded—is the tangible receipt for their actions.
By consistently repeating this “heavy price” mantra, Netanyahu is attempting to condition the behavior of his enemies. He is making it clear that aggression is not a viable option because the cost, as determined and delivered by Israel, will always be too steep to bear.