Labour MP claims Israel ‘killed Yemen’s prime minister’ in strike on Houthi cabinet

“What steps has the government taken to support Yemen in achieving peace, reconstruction and development, and in ending the humanitarian crisis?” she added.

While the Houthis do exercise power over some areas of Yemen, they are fighting a civil war against the recognised government, led by Prime Minister Salem Saleh bin Braik – who remains very much alive – and backed by a Saudi-led coalition of nations.

In his response, Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer was quick to correct Johnson.

“Let me clarify that we believe that it is the Houthi prime minister, rather than the Yemeni prime minister, who has recently been struck. The Houthis, as the House knows, are a threat not just to the people of Yemen and to the region, but to international shipping”, he told the Commons.

“I have engaged closely with the Yemeni government, including with both the previous Yemeni prime minister and the current Yemeni prime minister, who I am happy to report is still alive.”

And other Labour figures went further than Falconer in their criticism of Johnson.

Labour Friends of Israel Director Michael Rubin told the JC: “The antisemitic Iranian-backed Houthis have launched unprovoked attacks on Israel and international shipping since the October 7 attacks.

“This government is rightly doing its part to support Israel and deter this terroristic menace. These basic facts should be familiar to all parliamentarians and certainly to those who choose to offer their opinions to ministers on such a regular basis.”

A UN report in 2021 estimated that 377,000 people had been killed as a result of the conflict in Yemen.

Between 11 January and 30 May 2024, Britain and the US have conducted joint naval and air strikes against the Houthis in response to their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a major international trade route.

Another Labour MP, who asked to remain anonymous, added: "It's excruciatingly embarrassing watching some colleagues on the left of the party parade their total ignorance about the Middle East in the chamber. Hamish Falconer's patience dealing with these buffoons is exemplary.” 

Johnson, a staunch critic of Israel, was first elected in 2019, succeeding Labour MP Dame Louise Ellman, who is Jewish, in Liverpool Riverside.

Ellman staunchly criticised Johnson in 2021 for claiming that she had not been forced out of the party by antisemitism under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

And, in February 2023 Johnson apologised to the House of Commons for referring to the Israeli government as “fascist”.

Since October 7, 2023, the Houthis have joined in missile strikes on Israel. In May this year, the group closed Ben-Gurion airport after striking nearby.

Israel has hit back repeatedly, including with strikes on Yemen’s capital Sanaa and the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah.

Yesterday, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz was keen to boast about his country’s abilities in striking the group’s leadership.

“Like all leaders of extremist Islamic terror, they look out for themselves and abandon the residents. So it is with the Hamas leaders in Gaza and in the luxury hotels in Qatar, and so it is with the Houthis in Yemen.

“We knew how to hunt them this time – and we will know how in the future as well”, he said in a post on X.

The JC has contacted Johnson for comment.