“I oppose the Houthis. I dedicate several hours every day to expose the crimes and oppression of the Houthis in my country – on social media, on TV, in the field, organizing marches and events, speaking at the UNDP. Everything I do I dedicate to this topic,” said Majda Alhaddad (51).
Originally from the city of Ibb in Yemen, Alhaddad’s father was a diplomat, and so she lived much of her childhood abroad in France. She now resides in the USA with her children, having studied business administration and worked in education as a school principal.
“Now I’ve moved more to writing and engaging in activism. I wrote a book that has not yet been published about a man from Syria and a woman from Yemen and their relationship from 2000-2020, which sheds light on the events in the region. I wanted to explain about the worsening of the situation in the region, especially in Syria and Yemen. We started to translate into English, and we’ll get there little by little,” she added with a hopeful smile.
Alhaddad is active on the issue of women’s rights and the war in her country.
In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, the first of its kind for her in an Israeli newspaper, she described how, since the Houthis came to power, her country has seen new, unfamiliar laws, even in a traditionally conservative environment such as Yemen.
“These things were simply not there before they rose to power. The Houthis operate in universities, in cafes and in the neighborhoods, they assault women and girls who wear pants, they arrest them, beat them physically. They threaten them so that they change the way they dress. Even Hijabs are not enough for them – they make women completely veil their faces with a Niqab, and dress only in long abayas. They also don’t allow women and men mixing in different areas.”
And indeed, in July, the Jerusalem Post published a story on how the Houthi regime in the ‘Amran governorate had banned singing in weddings and even raided wedding halls which entertained singers, also arresting singers and artists.“There is also something even more dangerous,” added Alhaddad.
“Houthi authorities arrest and kidnap women because of their political opinions. This has never happened in Yemen until now. Many women were sentenced to death, and there are currently an estimated 2600 women in prison just because they resisted marriage. These are new and terrible things that have never happened before.”
When asked why she thinks some anti-Israel groups support the Houthis, Hadded replied: “The first thing is ignorance. They don’t really understand the truth of who the Houthis really are. I try to dedicate my work to exposing the terrible things they do.
“There are those who tell me that ‘we love Yemen and appreciate Yemen for what they do for Palestine,’ but I always make sure to explain the issue to them thoroughly,” Alhaddad said.
“Only last week, I was at a clothing shop, and the cashier was of Palestinian origin. When she heard I’m Yemeni, she gave me a gift and said that ‘it’s because we support the Palestinians.’ I told her that there is a big difference between the Yemeni people and what the Houthis are doing, which is worse than what she’s being told about Israel. What they’re doing in the Red Sea is outright terrorism. They’re not even attacking Israeli ships but rather international ones. The queue behind me started to get longer, so I told her quickly to please help spread the crimes of the Houthis to everyone around her.”
As for the second reason, Alhaddad mentioned general apathy toward peripheral Yemen. “Global and Arab media are not interested in Yemen; the Arabs were never interested in Yemen either. Ten years of war and I haven’t seen a single Lebanese or Syrian or Palestinian talking about the bombing and killing of Yemeni children. Ten years of war and destruction and kidnappings, and I haven’t seen any international outlet telling about these crimes. So why are people supporting Houthis? It’s all about ignorance and racism. I always write – is the blood of a Yemeni child not equal to that of a Palestinian child?”
‘Yemenis are proud of Jews for preserving our heritage’
When asked if she had ever met Jews in Yemen, Alhaddad smiles. “I have heard about the Jews in Yemen all my life. They didn’t live in my area. I remember that my family would go and buy handicrafts from them. This is a very important point, by the way: sure, many people are filled with hate, but what I saw and experienced in my own eyes is that many of the Yemenis around me express love for the Jews of Yemen and even miss them.”
Alhaddad lauded the upkeep of Yemeni tradition by the Yemeni Jews. “I admire the way they preserve their heritage in folklore, clothing, music, food, and teachings. We know that they still use Gath like authentic Yemenis.”
According to Alhaddad, in other countries, she felt different attitudes toward Jews. “I noticed that the Yemeni people are not like others. I don’t want to make generalizations, but overall, in places like Lebanon and other countries, I saw more hatred for Jews than in my own environment. Yemen is just not like that in its roots. The Houthis and the Muslim Brotherhood try to justify their hatred of Jews by turning to religion, but the everyday Yemeni is more prone to be proud of the Jews for preserving Yemeni Heritage.
Alhaddad herself also makes sure to share content related to Yemeni Jews on her social media outlets. “Many Yemenis know Israeli singers such as Ofra Haza and Zion Golan. Sure, when I share some of this content I am accused of being ‘a Zionist’ or ‘a Jew,’ but I personally just love the Jewish people.”
This is the first time Alhaddad has spoken to an Israeli outlet. “I am very happy to talk to an Israeli newspaper. Yes, there are many threats against me, even here in the USA, but I always speak the truth and say what’s on my mind. Even on October 7th, when I saw the terrible footage from the attack, I wrote against it and got much hate directed at me. They threatened to rape and kill and burn me, but I will not budge,” she added proudly.
“I am very happy to be pro-peace, against terrorism, and against October 7th. Jews are human beings, just like any Muslim. I hope that this war will end and there will be peace, no matter what they call it, only that the Palestinians and Israelis live in peace without threats from any terrorist organization.
‘We will be free one day’
When asked what her main messages to those who would read her are, Alhaddad highlighted three main points, “important for readers in Israel and the Jews and the whole world,” as she phrased it.
“Firstly, that the Houthi regime is a rebellious regime, in that it revolted against a legitimate government which was already in the process of national dialogue and establishing a constitution. This terrorist group brought upon the death of over 500 thousand Yemenis; their existence is illegitimate, and nobody must give them any legitimacy.”
The second point has to do with the Houthis’ military actions, which they claim are for the sake of the Palestinians. “The Houthis have never ‘defended’ neither Gaza nor the Palestinians. All they do with their current actions is whitewashing their crimes using the Palestinian issue as their pedestal. They spread their propaganda, and some believe them, but they never did anything for Gaza or for the Palestinians.
“Lastly, We will be free one day, and we will defeat the Houthis. Those who love the Yemeni people should be against the Houthis. I posted a pro-peace video once and got two million views, with many cursing at me. I am paying personal prices, but one day, they will all know that we were right. Let it take a year, a generation, or a century – in the end, everyone will know that we were right, and peace will prevail.”
