Netanyahu likely to choose IDF intel over Mossad on Houthis, delays direct strike on Iran
If there is a major Iranian strike or counter-strike against Israel, the IDF is on the hot seat for failing to prevent hits.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely prefer what appears to be an IDF intelligence recommendation to respond to the latest Houthi ballistic missile attack with a direct counterattack against the group over what Mossad chief David Barnea supposedly recommended – a direct attack against Iran.
Netanyahu appears to favor the military intelligence approach because he wants to hold out for potentially attacking Iran at some later date – likely not until after Trump has taken office.
Barnea has been among the country’s leading hawks on Iran throughout his term and has tended to advocate hitting Tehran more often and harder, whereas IDF intelligence has tended to be more conservative about direct attacks on the Islamic Republic in light of the potentially grave consequences.
The Mossad frequently views Iran through a general strategic prism of needing to weaken the broader long-term threats it poses – whether through its nuclear program, its conventional weapons, or its terrorism worldwide.
In contrast, the IDF is responsible not only for Israeli offense but also for air defense, meaning that if there was a major Iranian strike against Israel, the IDF would be in the hot seat for failing to prevent hits, such as occurred on Saturday in Jaffa.
