Antisemitic Houthi rebel in Yemen bashes UAE for ‘building synagogues’

The official slogan of the Houthis contains the statement: “Death to Israel, curse the Jews, victory to Islam.”

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
HOUTHI MOVEMENT supporters shout slogans as they attend a rally to mark the fourth anniversary of the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen’s war, in Sana’a, Yemen, on March 26. (photo credit: REUTERS)
HOUTHI MOVEMENT supporters shout slogans as they attend a rally to mark the fourth anniversary of the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen’s war, in Sana’a, Yemen, on March 26.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The United Arab Emirates is “building synagogues for Jews,” Houthi rebel leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said in a statement published over the weekend in Iranian media. Iran is a major backer of the Houthi rebels who have been fighting a civil war in Yemen.
The official slogan of the Houthis contains the statement: “Death to Israel, curse the Jews, victory to Islam.” The movement is one of the few in the region that is officially and openly antisemitic. While the rebels are called Houthis, the movement’s official name is Ansar Allah.
“The UAE authorities are looking to improve their image by building a synagogue for the Jews,” Houthi said. The UAE is involved in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, which is waged against the Houthis and has “displaced millions of Yemenis,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has intervened in Yemen since 2015 to prevent the Houthis from taking the Port of Aden and controlling the Bab al-Mandab Strait leading to the Red Sea.
Houthi’s latest statement was posted at Tasnim News in Iran on Sunday. Iran transfers missiles and drones to the Houthis, and the group has used them to target Saudi Arabia. The US Navy has intercepted several weapons shipments from Iran to Yemen.
In addition, there were concerns that the Houthis could be working with Iran to target Israel last October. In mid-July, the Houthis claimed they have “targets” in Israel this year.
Over the past decade, there have been reports that the last Jews in Yemen need help to flee the country. In March 2016, 19 Jews from Yemen arrived in Israel.
The UAE helped reunite a Jewish Yemenite family after 15 years, media in the UAE reported over the weekend. The UAE facilitated the travel of family members from Yemen to the UAE, Emirates News Agency reported.
There have been numerous reports in recent years about the Jewish community in the UAE, which consists of travelers, expats and others. There is supposed to be a synagogue by 2022 in the country, according to DW media, and the community is said to be robust and even has internal squabbles among rabbis and community leaders.
In 2018, The Washington Post gave op-ed space to Houthi, the Houthi rebel leader, despite the movement’s antisemitism. Newspapers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE slammed the op-ed, arguing that Houthi is an Iran-backed terrorist.


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