By Michael Pröbsting, Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), 20 November 2023, www.thecommunists.net
The Houthis – a powerful resistance movement which controls the Western part of Yemen including the capital city Sanaa – have sized an Israeli-owned cargo ship in the southern Red Sea.
While Netanyahu’s office claims that Israel is not involved in the ship’s ownership or operation, it has been widely acknowledged – including by Israeli media – that the Galaxy Leader is owned by Ray Car Carriers. This company has been founded by Abraham “Rami” Ungar, who is known as one of the richest men in Israel.
Despite denying any involvement with the ship’s ownership, the Israeli government reacted furiously about the seizure of the Galaxy Leader and denounced it as an “Iranian act of terrorism” (because of the Houthis alliance with Iran). Likewise, a US National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement that “the Houthi’s seizure of the vessel Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea is a flagrant violation of international law.”
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement on X that the seizure of the ship was in response to the “heinous acts against our Palestinian brothers in Gaza and the West Bank. (…) If the international community is concerned about regional security and stability, rather than expanding the conflict, it should put an end to Israel’s aggression against Gaza. (…) We confirm our continuation of military operations against [Israel] until the aggression and ugly crimes against our Palestinian brothers in Gaza and the West Bank stop.” Saree added the warning that any ship belonging to Israel or those who support it will be a legitimate target for Houthi forces.
The Houthis are a petty-bourgeois Islamist movement which played an important role in the popular uprising in 2014. After Saudi Arabia and the UAE – supported by the U.S. and UK – invaded Yemen in March 2015, the Houthis became the central force in defending the country against this reactionary attack – a struggle which the RCIT has always supported. [1]
At the same time, Ansar Allah – the official name of the Houthis – is part of so-called “Axis of Resistance” led by Iran. Hence, it has close ties with the reactionary Mullah regime in Teheran which oppresses the working class, women and national minorities in Iran, [2] supports the tyranny of Assad in Syria [3] and send weapons to Putin for his imperialist war against the Ukraine. [4]
The Houthis have a long tradition of solidarity with the Palestinian people. This has been also demonstrated by that fact that they have launched several missile and drone attacks against the Zionist state in support of the Palestinian resistance since the 7 October.
While the RCIT does not lend any political support to the Houthis, we strongly welcome their practical aid to the Palestinian liberation struggle. The seizure of the Israeli cargo ship is a legitimate act of solidarity with the Palestinian resistance. In fact, it is a shame that other forces of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” – like Hezbollah or Iran itself – have refused to join the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian resistance until now – despite numerous bombastic declarations. True, Hezbollah regularly exchanges fire with the Israeli army at the border. But compare such modest military efforts to their decision to send thousands of militants to Assad to help him suppressing the heroic popular uprising of the Syrian people since March 2011! How long does Nasrallah want to wait until he opens the “second front”? Until the Nakba in Gaza has been accomplished?!
The RCIT – including our comrades in Israel / Occupied Palestine – continues to stand with the Palestinian people and its liberation struggle. In the current Gaza War – like in the past ones – we advocate the military victory of the resistance led by Hamas without lending political support to the program or all tactics of its leadership. [5]
We call for a comprehensive boycott of the Israeli Apartheid state. Sabotage all forms of military support for Israel. For strikes, protests and consumer boycott against Israeli goods, pro-Israeli political and cultural events! In fact, the Houthis seizure of an Israeli cargo ship is a form of such popular sanctions against the Zionist state.
Victory to the Palestinian resistance! Defeat Israel!
[1] See e.g. RCIT: Yemen: Another Humiliating Blow for the Saudi Aggressors! Yemeni popular resistance eliminates three pro-Saudi military brigades, 02.10.2019, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/yemen-another-humiliating-blow-for-the-saudi-aggressors/
[2] See on this e.g. several statements of RCIT sections which are compiled on a special sub-page on our website, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/mass-protests-against-reactionary-regime-in-iran/.
[3] The RCIT has published a number of booklets, statements and articles on the Syrian Revolution since its inception in March 2011 which can be read on a special sub-section on this website: https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/collection-of-articles-on-the-syrian-revolution/.
[4] We refer readers to a special page on our website where all RCIT documents on the Ukraine War and the current NATO-Russia conflict are compiled: https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/compilation-of-documents-on-nato-russia-conflict/.
[5] We refer readers to a special page on our website where more a number of RCIT documents on the 2023 Gaza War are compiled, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/compilation-of-articles-on-the-gaza-uprising-2023/.