Asif Mahmood
The question is: what is the Houthis’ real objective? Israel and its Western patrons, or the Muslim Arab countries of the region?
Whenever this question is raised, the discussion is diverted into a debate about the Houthis’ history, their background, and their past. But this is not a question about history, nor are we discussing the old disputes between the Houthis and the Arab world. The question concerns their objectives in the current alignment of forces. What is their target? Israel or the Muslim Arab countries?
When Israel and the United States attacked Iran, the Houthis declared that they would respond by closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait. In other words, while Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz, the Houthis would block the Bab al-Mandab passage, thereby increasing pressure on Israel and the United States and damaging their interests. But as events have unfolded, we are seeing the Muslim Arab world increasingly becoming the target of Houthi attacks rather than Israel or its Western patrons. The question is: why?
Who suffers when Saudi Arabia is attacked? The Muslim world, or Israel and the United States? It was evident to everyone that Israel wanted the Muslim world to become embroiled in conflict with itself while it sat back and watched. Pakistan thwarted this conspiracy. It had recognised that the Muslim world itself was the target. That is why Pakistan stepped forward at the very first stage, acting in good faith, and prevented the war from turning into an internal conflict within the Muslim world. Now, if the Houthis keep attacking Saudi Arabia, whose wishes are they fulfilling? Whether deliberately or inadvertently, this is a question of immense importance.
The closure of Bab al-Mandab certainly affected Israel’s port of Eilat. But how much damage did it actually inflict on Israel? Its ports of Haifa and Ashdod, being located on the Mediterranean, remained entirely unaffected. The closure of Bab al-Mandab did not bring Israel’s maritime trade to a halt because it had an alternative lifeline.
The Muslim countries, however, suffered substantial losses. Bab al-Mandab is far more important for the Arab countries of the region because it is a vital route connecting them to international markets. Egypt’s revenues from Suez Canal traffic fell by nearly three billion dollars in a single year. Saudi Arabia’s oil shipments were disrupted. The closure of Bab al-Mandab was supposedly undertaken for the Palestinian cause, yet the Arab countries, rather than Israel, bore the consequences. What kind of strategy was this?
As if all this were not enough, missile and drone attacks began in earnest. Sometimes they were directed towards Makkah, sometimes towards Madinah. Makkah and Madinah are red lines for the Muslim Ummah. Even during its wars with Arab countries, Israel never dared to fire a missile towards these sacred cities. The Houthis, however, have managed to do precisely that. These cities hold a special sanctity, yet the Houthis have shown no regard for it. Do they not understand what they are doing, or is this precisely what they intend to do?
Since 2022, the Houthis have not fired a single missile towards Israel. If the issue is America’s allies, who is a closer ally of the United States than Israel? If the dispute concerns American military bases in the region, what greater American outpost is there than Israel? Yet, astonishingly, Houthi missiles are being fired towards Saudi Arabia time and again, while not a single missile has been fired towards Israel. Some argue that Israel is too far away. But does the fact that an enemy is far away justify attacking a nearby Muslim country instead?
Even an ordinary person understands this basic principle of warfare: wars are fought against the enemy, and unnecessary fronts are not opened. What kind of war is this, in which Israel is supposedly the enemy, yet Muslim countries are the ones being targeted?
If Pakistan’s sincere efforts are undermined by Houthi attacks, who will benefit? Israel.
If the trade, peace and prosperity of Muslim countries are put at stake, who will suffer? Israel or the Muslims?
Saudi Arabia’s security is a matter of concern for the entire Ummah. If the requirements of its security are undermined, whose interests will be hurt? Israel’s or those of the Muslims?
Millions of Muslims from across the world live and work in Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia. If this economic lifeline of the Muslim world is targeted, who will suffer? Israel or the Muslims?
What if Umrah pilgrims are sitting at Saudi airports when a Houthi missile comes crashing down from above? What harm would that cause Israel? Would it be a blow to Israel, or an attack on the collective consciousness of the Muslim world?
This is a strange war indeed: one supposedly being fought against Israel in the name of Palestinian liberation, yet its missiles are being fired at Saudi Arabia. Not a single missile has been fired towards Israel.