The UK-US joint airstrikes on the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen has drawn Britain and America closer to defending Israel in the region. Politicians have been quick to deny that it is connected to the Israel-Gaza war, but that isn’t how the Houthis and their antisemitic allies consider it.
As Israeli flags were burned on the streets of Yemen on Friday afternoon, Houthi leaders made feelings about Israel clear in a series of statements. Nasr Aldeen Amer, vice president of the Houthi media authority, said, “They will pay absolutely and without hesitation, and we will not back down from our position in supporting the Palestinian people, whatever the cost.”
Houthi official Abdulsalam Jahaf also wrote on social media that “America, Britain and Israel are launching raids”.
“We will discipline them God willing,” he added.
And in the minds of many in the region, the UK and US will be seen to have taken an active military role now in support of Israel. Among them is Hamas, which has condemned the strikes. It should not come as a surprise as they both share genocidal hatred towards Jews. Afterall, the slogan on the Houthi flag reads, “Allah is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam”.
But other voices that Western leaders often wrongfully regard as ‘moderate’, have also spoken out. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the strikes and said the US and UK are “trying to turn the Red Sea into a sea of blood”. Accusing the attacks as being disproportionate, Turkey’s leader took aim at Israel, adding, “Israel also resorts to this disproportionate use of force in Palestine.”
Like Israel’s war against Iran-backed Hamas, the UK and US are now also in direct conflict with an Iranian-backed terror group that wants to wipe out the Jewish people. The Iranian regime was quick to condemn the strikes on the Houthis and didn’t miss an opportunity to take a swipe at its arch-enemy, Israel. “The attacks are happening in an effort to extend the full support of the US and UK in approximately the past 100 days for the war crimes of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people and the besieged citizens of Gaza,” the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Over the past few months, the Houthis have fired missiles aimed at Israel and attacked Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea. On 19th November, the terror group vowed to target vessels that it believes are enroute to or from Israel. Tensions escalated this week when a British warship shot down several drones to prevent the largest drone and missile attack to date. This was the 26th Houthi attack on commercial shipping since 19th November.
The world awaits to see what happens next. The Houthis have vowed to retaliate and the UK has not ruled out further strikes if necessary. However, whether directly or indirectly linked to their support of Israel, Britain and America’s actions on Thursday night have sent a clear message to Israel’s enemies – they will not ignore Iranian-backed terror in the region. Whatever materialises over the coming days, a line was drawn in the sand of the Middle East this week – Britain and America are two countries that have Israel’s back.
