Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have garnered increased attention following their recent attacks, including the firing of rockets toward Israel, the targeting of US military bases, and the hijacking of a British-owned, Israeli-linked ship in the Red Sea. Despite these bold actions, the Houthis have yet to be classified as a terrorist organization by most Western governments.
White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby confirmed on Tuesday that the United States is reviewing whether to designate the Houthis as terrorists, following the group’s removal from the terrorist list by US President Joe Biden in 2021.
In contrast, the United Kingdom has not made a similar declaration. In response to this hesitation, the activist group ‘We Believe in Israel’ has launched a campaign urging the UK to add the Houthi group to the list of proscribed terrorist organizations.
We Believe in Israel’s petition has already garnered over 1,300 signatures, with an ultimate goal of 5,000. The group contends that the Houthis’ large-scale and highly organized terrorist activities, particularly against British interests and allies, warrant immediate proscription.
The petition emphasizes the potential role of such a designation in supporting the global fight against terrorism and sending a clear message to Iran regarding the UK’s stance on the use of proxies for projecting terror in the Middle East.
If proscribed, support for Houthis would be punishable by prison
“Given the Houthis’ large scale and highly organized terrorist activities directed against British interests and allies, there is no conceivable reason why their current lawfulness remains in the public interest,” the group’s petition outlined. “Proscription would also support other members of the international community in the global fight against terrorism and send a strong message to Iran about the stance the UK takes on its use of proxies to project terror across the Middle East.”
Luke Akehurst, Director of We Believe in Israel, explained to The Jerusalem Post that the “Proscription would empower His Majesty’s Government to take stronger action against a sophisticated and dangerous Iranian proxy who directly threatens and has launched attacks on our regional allies.
“We must support other members of the international community in the global fight against terrorism, and Sunday’s hijacking of a British vessel by Houthi forces in international waters cannot be tolerated. This would be an ideal moment for the Home Secretary to step up and show international leadership in the fight against Iran projecting its influence through terrorist proxies.”
While the new Home (Interior) Secretary James Cleverley has discretionary powers in deciding whether to proscribe a group, he is expected to take into account five factors:
- The nature and scale of the group’s activities
- Whether the group poses a specific threat to the UK
- Whether the group poses a threat to British nationals overseas (like British dual nationals living in Israel.)
- The extent of the organization’s presence in the UK.
- Whether proscribing the group will support the global fight against terrorism.
If proscribed, membership or support for the Houthis would be punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment and or a £5,000 fine. Additionally, this would criminalize fundraising for Houthis.