The STC is courting Israel in its drive for secession in Yemen

In their pursuit of power, leaders often forge alliances of convenience, partnering with any actor who can further their goals and interests.

This is certainly the case for Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a secessionist body seeking to separate Yemen's south from the north.

In late September, he stated that restoring the south’s independence could pave the way for normalisation with Israel, saying his movement is ready for statehood and the Abraham Accords are vital for regional peace.

In the past two years, Israel has become a global pariah due to its genocidal war in Gaza and military campaigns in Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.

In Yemen, which has also been attacked repeatedly by Israel in its war with the Houthis, al-Zubaidi’s statement of support for normalisation sparked widespread anger and frustration.

Courting Tel Aviv to advance a secessionist agenda will only deepen polarisation in Yemen, with analysts saying it was a miscalculation.

Salah Alsaqladi, a pro-secession political commentator and author, said al-Zubaidi’s comments, in light of Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, were a provocation.

“This rhetoric places the southerners and the transitional council as outcasts in the eyes of the Arab people,” he told The New Arab.

Al-Zubaidi’s rhetoric on normalisation will likely create more enemies for the southern issue, he added, at the expense of some regional and Arab solidarity in recent years.

In May 1990, leaders in Yemen’s south and north agreed to form a unified country. Four years later, rifts among leaders emerged, prompting southern officials to restore their state. A civil war erupted.

The northern leaders won by force of weapons, tightening their control over the south and north. Since then, the struggle for secession has not ceased.

Mohammed Al-Samai, a Taiz-based political journalist, told TNA that the STC has limited options to advance its separatist agenda. Given this fact, it has resorted to showing its willingness to accept normalisation with Israel as a strategy.

The journalist indicated that this approach points to the significant difficulties the STC faces in achieving its goals, namely, regaining an independent state in the south.

“It is undeniable that the STC is supported by the UAE, and the UAE is moving toward normalisation with Israel. Therefore, it is natural that the STC's rhetoric aligns with the UAE’s strategy.”

Al-Samei suggests that the STC first needs to present a genuine and effective development model that citizens in south Yemen can be proud of.

“This is the best way to gain broad popular support. All other attempts that do not serve people will fail to win civilians’ hearts.”

Tangible Israeli role in south Yemen

A recent report revealed that the UAE’s allies, including Israel and the US, have created and expanded military and intelligence bases in the STC-controlled Socotra islands.

It indicated that Israeli officers have operated on the ground on the islands, and Israeli radar systems and other military and security apparatus allow the UAE to monitor and thwart attacks launched by the Houthis.

Since late 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians and targeted ships linked to Israel.

“The UAE and Israel have an intelligence-sharing platform known as Crystal Ball, whereby they 'design, deploy and enable regional intelligence enhancement' in partnership,” said the report, published by Middle East Eye.

In the same vein, a media delegation, including Israeli journalist Jonathan Spyer, arrived in Aden this year and met with STC officials. Accompanied by an STC general, Spyer visited the front lines in Dhale province, where the Houthis and STC have engaged in recurring clashes and skirmishes over the past years.

Abdullah, the STC general, said during a conversation with Spyer that the Houthis are an arm of Iran and countering them requires modern weapons. He said the STC needs "light and heavy machine guns, air defences, drones for reconnaissance, anti-aircraft capacity to target low-flying drones, night-vision equipment," among others.

Details of the visit unleashed a heated debate in Yemen, with many viewing it as a step towards normalisation with Israel. Others argued that the STC did not know about the nationality of the Israeli journalist.

Moreover, a report in US media this month revealed an Israeli role in removing opponents of the United Arab Emirates and the STC.

The Israelis played an indirect role in the formation and organisation of the STC’s Security Belt Forces, with the UAE hiring retired Israeli officers from foreign security companies to train Security Belt members in Abu Dhabi.

An Israeli mercenary also took part in an assassination program, which began in 2015, targeting many anti-UAE-STC figures in Aden. This enabled the Emirates-supported secessionists to expand their presence and weaken their opponents in the south.

Today, they have the upper hand in Aden and most southern provinces.

Changing attitudes towards the STC

Ayman Ahmed, a Houthi supporter in Sanaa, used to believe that the southern people had the right to secede if they wanted, considering their struggle legitimate. However, today, he, like many others, has changed their mind.

As the secessionist leadership in southern Yemen speaks openly about normalising relations with Israel, Ahmed believes the secessionists are now enemies. This is a widespread attitude in Yemen.

"In recent years, I would not support any armed confrontation with our brothers in the south. Once the secessionists expressed their readiness to normalise relations with Israel, I considered it treason. Fighting the treacherous is mandatory," he told TNA. 

Since July last year, Israel has killed and injured hundreds of Yemenis in Houthi-controlled provinces. The latest strikes in September this year left over 200 civilians dead and injured. 

Sanaa resident Ahmed, like many others in Yemen, thinks that Houthi support for Gaza will be remembered with pride for years to come.

Ali Nasser, a resident of Shabwah province in south Yemen, has been a staunch supporter of southern secession and sees al-Zubaidi as an inspiring leader for those seeking independence from the north.

"We (secessionists) are ready to engage in any political or military activity for the sake of restoring our independent state in the south. The only thing we cannot do is side with Israel […] to accelerate southern secession,” Nasser said.

"We consider the presence of any northern Yemeni forces in the south as an occupation. So I see no wisdom or intellect in befriending a foreign occupier to help us get rid of a neighbouring occupier. Any occupier cannot be trusted.”

Khalil Karim is a freelance journalist from Yemen