The Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen staged over the weekend pro-Tehran rallies in Sanaa and other regions under their control in a move that was widely condemned by the legitimate government.
The rallies were held in wake of the Warsaw conference last week that warned of and condemned Iran’s malicious policies in the region.
The Houthis sought to stage the protests in Tehran’s defense under the claim of rejecting the normalization of ties with Israel.
In reality, the demonstrations sought to manipulate the Palestinian cause for Iranian goals.
The militias forced the people to join the movement, threatening to accuse them of cooperating with Israel should they refuse.
The legitimate government slammed the rallies, saying that the Houthis were exploiting the Palestinian cause for their interests.
Spokesman Rajeh Badi stressed that the government firmly stands with the Palestinian people and rejects the Houthis’ blatant abuse of their cause in order to fulfill an Iranian agenda.
Iran has never even presented any tangible assistance to the Palestinians in their struggle against Israel and instead used false slogans in order to further its own agenda, he charged.
The Yemenis will continue to champion the Palestinian people’s cause until they obtain all of their rights, starting with the establishment of their own independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, Badi stressed.
Those who question the legitimate government’s stance are themselves complicit in cooperating with Israel, he continued.
Minister of Awqaf Ahmed Atieh echoed these accusations, saying that the Houthi agenda in Yemen is similar to the Zionist agenda in the region.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Yemeni people are wise to Houthi attempts to exploit the Palestinian cause.
Furthermore, he stressed that the Houthis’ allegiance to Iran presents a great service to Tel Aviv because they share the same goals.
This is demonstrated in the massive Israeli investments in Iran that have reached 20 billion dollars, said Atieh.
