Ahmad Haji Sadeghian, expert in the field of International and Yemen affairs
The Palestinian issue has been a significant regional and international concern for Yemeni society since the beginning of the British occupation. Yemeni society, from both Arab and Islamic perspectives, has been and remains sensitive to developments in Palestine. This importance has led various Yemeni governments over the past century to consistently maintain an active and sensitive stance on the Palestinian issue.
Opposition to the establishment of the Zionist entity from the outset
The Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen, led by Imam Ahmad bin Yahya Hamid al-Din (1948–1962), was among the Arab states that openly opposed the Zionist project and the establishment of the state of Israel. Despite Yemen’s relatively distant geographical location from Palestine, Imam Ahmad viewed himself as religiously, historically, and ideologically committed to supporting the Palestinian cause and undertook activities in this regard.
The Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen was one of the first countries to officially oppose the adoption of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 (1947). Alongside other Arab nations, Yemen considered this partition plan a violation of the historical and religious rights of the Palestinian people. According to official UN records, Yemeni representative Muhammad al-Akwa al-Umari declared during UN sessions that Yemen would never recognize Israel’s existence.
Within the framework of the Arab League, Yemen played an active role in condemning Zionist activities. Imam Ahmad bin Yahya repeatedly called for Islamic unity against the Zionist threat in official correspondence with Arab leaders. In 1952, he sent a letter to the King of Saudi Arabia urging a firm stance against Israel’s presence in the region.
Historical sources indicate that the Mutawakkilite government provided limited military aid to Palestinian groups in the 1950s, though these efforts were largely symbolic due to Yemen’s limited military capabilities. Nevertheless, Yemen’s political positions strengthened Palestine’s standing in Arab forums. Following the 1956 Tripartite Aggression against Egypt, Yemen adopted harsher stances against Israel and called for increased pressure on the West during emergency Arab League meetings.
While some Arab states pursued secret relations or compromises with the West, Yemen under Imam Ahmad firmly rejected any contact with Israel. Even after the Six-Day War in 1967, which occurred after the fall of the Mutawakkilite government, historical documents show that Imam Ahmad had been a staunch advocate of "absolute refusal to normalize relations."
Two Yemeni capitals supporting Palestine
The fall of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom did not diminish the significance of the Palestinian issue in Yemeni politics. After the formation of North and South Yemen, both Sana’a and Aden remained committed to supporting Palestinian Resistance in all political spheres and providing logistical backing. This principled foreign policy undoubtedly stemmed from the Yemeni people’s collective will and perspective on Palestine.
For instance, following Israel’s 1982 invasion of southern Lebanon, Yemen hosted a number of Palestinian fighters. North Yemen established the Sabra base near Sana’a, while South Yemen set up the Shatila base near Aden for these militants. In the same year, Yemeni fighters fought alongside Palestinians in the Battle of Shaqif Castle in southern Lebanon, with Yemeni martyr Abdulqadir al-Kahlani serving as deputy commander of forces stationed at the castle.
Support for Palestine during Saleh’s era
After the Camp David Accords in 1978, President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s government strongly condemned the agreement, labeling it a betrayal of the Palestinian cause and emphasizing the need for a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian issue. Despite international pressure to engage in peace processes with Israel, Yemen consistently supported Palestinian struggles and vehemently condemned Zionist crimes against Palestinians.
Following Yemen’s unification in 1990, the Republic of Yemen maintained its anti-Zionist positions under public and elite pressure, openly supporting the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000. However, the First Gulf War and Yemen’s improving relations with Gulf Cooperation Council states led Saleh’s government to reluctantly endorse the two-state solution, contrary to public sentiment — a factor that contributed to the Yemeni society’s disillusionment with his regime.
Ansar Allah and commitment to the Palestinian cause
From its inception, the Quranic movement of martyr Sayyid Hussein al-Houthi declared its commitment to combating Zionist conspiracies in the Islamic world and defending Palestinian Resistance, adopting "Death to Israel" as one of its central slogans. In his speeches on various occasions, Sayyid Hussein al-Houthi warned of the dangers posed by Zionism to the Muslim world and Israel’s crimes against Palestinians. He affirmed Imam Khomeini’s view of the Zionist regime as a "cancerous tumor" and criticized Arab and Islamic governments and societies for their failure to confront the Zionist regime.
Inspired by Iran’s Islamic Revolution and Imam Khomeini’s teachings on the necessity of comprehensive resistance to Zionism and the rejection of any compromise with American and Israeli schemes to undermine Palestinian rights, the movement designated Quds Day as one of its most significant political and religious observances, symbolizing popular support for the Palestinian cause. In his 2001 Quds Day speech, al-Houthi highlighted that Imam Khomeini began his struggle against Israel even before the victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, attributing this stance to Imam Khomeini’s profound adherence to the teachings of the Holy Quran.
Sayyid Hussein al-Houthi’s path of confronting the Zionist regime and supporting Palestinian Resistance continued within Ansar Allah after his martyrdom. This support, deeply rooted in Yemeni society’s connection to Palestinian Resistance, positioned Yemen as the most active Islamic front in defending Palestine during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and Zionist atrocities in Gaza and Lebanon. Passionate speeches by Sayyid Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and weekly demonstrations held at his request across Yemen in support of Palestinian Resistance served as the primary motivation for Yemeni political and military leaders to enforce a maritime blockade against Israel in the Red Sea and launch missile and drone attacks on occupied territories.
The resolve of the Yemeni people and leaders to confront the Zionist regime — rooted in the Quranic teachings of Sayyid Hussein and Sayyid Abdul-Malik al-Houthi — remained unbroken even after brutal US and Israeli attacks. Today, Yemen and Ansar Allah remain among the greatest supporters of the Palestinian people and their resistance.
(The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Khamenei.ir.)
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