December 2, 2024
OTTAWA – After more than a year of advocacy by B’nai Brith Canada, the Federal Government has finally listed Ansar Allah, otherwise known as the Houthis, as a terrorist entity.
The Yemen-based Houthis are a Shiite faction in the country’s civil war. In recent years, the group has become one of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s most powerful terrorist proxies, developing ballistic missile capabilities and carrying out numerous atrocities against civilians.
After Hamas’ brutal October 2023 terrorist attacks on Israel, the Houthis began targeting international shipping through the Red Sea, sinking multiple vessels and abducting crew members.
“This designation is long overdue,” said David Granovsky, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Government Relations. “Other countries, including the United States, have regarded the Houthis as terrorists for years. Thousands of Canadians joined B’nai Brith’s letter-writing campaign last February demanding Canada take a similar approach.”
In a joint statement last July, B’nai Brith and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Education (FSWC) highlighted these concerns following an unprecedented Houthi drone strike on Tel Aviv.
“Canada’s decision to list the Houthis brings it in step with its allies and demonstrates our commitment to upholding international law,” said Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy. “But it is important that this action be paired with changes to our domestic policies.
“As B’nai Brith outlined in its recent 7-Point Plan for Combating Antisemitism in Canada, our Government should not continue to tolerate mass rallies in support of listed terrorist entities such as the Houthis or Hamas. These gatherings, which glorify acts of terror and incite hate against the Jewish community, make a mockery of Canadian values.”
