FROM the start of the conflict in Israel-Gaza, Western governments have hoped that the crisis would be contained rather than becoming a wider, regional war. And now that fear seems to have been realised: the US and UK air strikes on Houthi bases in Yemen last night are a response to Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. And the rebels justified those attacks on the basis that the shipping was supporting Israel’s war.
This was not true for the most part. Last night’s attacks, supported militarily by other Western nations, on the bases from which the Houthis launched their drone strikes was squarely designed to protect one of the world’s most important trade routes. As such, they are entirely justified. The Prime Minister’s statement made that aim very clear. It is important to underline the point: this is not the UK aiding Israel but a bid to ensure that global trade can continue without risk from Houthi drones.
Those attacks were an easy win for the Houthis: the drones are comparatively cheap to launch but very expensive to counter. And they win the rebels propaganda points as the self-styled defenders of Palestinians in Gaza in the Muslim world. It is plain that the attacks happened with the indispensable backing of Iran but they allow it to act at arm’s length through its proxies.
Yet the attacks on shipping have serious repercussions for Arab states: they have, for instance had a devastating effect on traffic through the Suez canal, which is the single largest source of income for Egypt.
It would have been impossible to allow the attacks on shipping to continue: the cost of diverting vessels round Africa adds to the prices we all pay for products. And it also threatens oil supplies from the Gulf on which we are now more dependent as a result of the war in Ukraine.
There is, then, every justification for the US-UK air strikes. But the imperative now is to justify them politically. Above all, we need an international consensus. That means that we should seek the support of other members of the Security Council — which condemned Houthi attacks this week — for the latest action, including China, which has such a stake in the free flow of trade.
Recall parliament
At home, it would have been prudent for the Government to have recalled parliament to debate its actions, although it has rightly kept the Opposition fully briefed. But although the Prime Minister was free to act independently of parliament, he should now justify his actions before it and secure the support of MPs for their continuance and set out the legal justification. There is already a bid on social media to depict the air strikes as similar to the involvement in Iraq or Libya; the Not in My Name slogan is being widely invoked. But it is nothing like that and the Prime Minister must make that clear. But what is he doing in Ukraine at such a time? He should return home, recall parliament and make his case.
