Stop the Houthis, now!, Europes wake-up call on defense and other commentary

Mideast journal: Stop the Houthis, Now!Yemen’s Houthis “are testing a model of 21st-century piracy that, if successful, will be made permanent and likely copied by others,” warns Commentary’s Seth Mandel.Yes, “the Houthis can and should be stopped, but it would require Western leaders to confront the consequences of their atrocious miscalculation of the Houthi threat.” That threat so far has resulted in shipping costs “in some cases up nearly 400 percent.” Worse, “the Houthis could probably survive on their own, even if Iranian sponsorship disappeared.” “The Trump administration now faces the same choice that bedeviled Joe Biden on whether to end the Houthi threat to the global economy.” “Putting a stop to the Houthis is the obvious choice,” while “letting this continue would be inexplicable and indefensible.”Foreign desk: Europe’s Wake-up Call on Defense“European countries are now scrambling to prepare for the possibility that the United States might withdraw the security umbrella that has shielded the continent for nearly 80 years,” notes Ani Chkhikvadze at the Washington Examiner.

For decades, “European nations underinvested in defense.” But Trump’s since-rescinded halt on military aid to Kyiv “forced Europeans to consider their own defense capabilities.” They suddenly realize that “if the war ends on Russia’s terms and the U.S.withdraws from Europe, the next target could be them.” Thus, finally, “European countries are discussing a major defense spending increase.” But they face “indifference” from the public, since US involvement has meant that Europeans didn’t have “to contemplate their physical security.” Yet now “the question is no longer theoretical: If the U.S.

steps back, will Europe finally step forward?”NY cardinal: Christians Must Reject Jew-Hate“It seems every generation must learn anew that hatred against Jews is not just unacceptable, but a grave evil,” argues Timothy Card...