In a recent speech, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a senior leader of the Houthi terror group in Yemen, addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying: "Netanyahu, you think you can do to us what you did to Hezbollah? Ask the Yemeni Jews who we are."
In response, Dr. Yehuda Amir, a Jewish immigrant from Sanaa, Yemen, shared his experiences growing up in Yemen.
What do you think about the recent comments made by Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, a senior leader of the Houthi movement in Yemen, claiming that Prime Minister Netanyahu should ask Yemeni Jews about them?
"From our perspective, they didn’t even exist. There were Zaydis, but there were no Houthis. We never saw them, never heard of them." Dr. Yehuda Amir, who immigrated from Sanaa in August 1949, explains. "As a child, I remember the hostility from the Muslims there. I myself was pelted with stones by the Muslim children from the nearby neighborhood. Overall, the atmosphere was one of animosity and suspicion. It wasn’t a pleasant place to live. That’s why I always say in my lectures: Don’t yearn for Yemen. We have nothing to look for there, nothing to return to. Thank God we managed to come to our homeland and live with our Jewish people."
The Houthis claim to be resilient, undeterred despite Israeli airstrikes. Do you understand their persistence? Do you recognize the resilience in the Zaydi Shiite community, particularly in how they have viewed Jews historically as 'people of protection'?
"Yes, I think their resilience comes from their fanatic belief in martyrdom. They sanctify death, seeing it as a holy jihad. And with the strong influence of Iran, they are acting out of ideological motivations. That’s their problem. We’ll need to find a solution to overcome their burning hatred. This is a historical hatred, not something new, but today it has been exacerbated by Iran's influence."
If Netanyahu were to ask you what he needs to understand about the Yemenite Jews, the Shiites and the Zaydis in order to overcome the Houthis, what would your advice be?
"He needs to understand their mentality, their way of thinking and their fanatic belief in the sanctity of jihad. He needs to grasp the phenomenon of martyrdom and how it drives them. Only then can we start to find a way to deal with them. Without understanding the mentality of the Yemeni Muslim, it will be very hard to overcome them."
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There was initial dismissiveness toward the Houthis, labeling them as just a rag-tag militia. What’s the real situation?
"No, that’s not the case. Today, they are well-organized, well-equipped and supported by Iran. They’re not lacking anything in terms of resources; what they need is motivation—and they certainly have that. They’ve probably decided to wear us down. We’ll have to apply our Jewish ingenuity to overcome them in some way. How exactly? That depends on our intelligence and military."
How do you feel about the jokes and memes circulating online about Yemen and Yemenite Jews in light of the war with the Houthis?
"Yemeni Jews are not engaging with this at all, from what I've noticed. I’ve tried to raise the issue in various circles, especially in our association 'Ala Batamar' for the preservation of Yemeni Jewish heritage and at the Zalman Shazar Center, but people today aren’t interested. They don’t have much to say about it, in my opinion."
What message would you want to send to the Houthis from Israel?
"I want to tell them one thing: You don't stand a chance against us. You can stir up trouble as much as you like, but in the end, our long arm will reach you and restrain you. You should stop before you suffer significant damage. Beware."