RAF Attack on Yemen is to Promote Israeli Genocide

On Tuesday 29 May 2025, the RAF joined the US in bombing Yemen. Two criminal members of the Coalition of Genocide are attacking Yemen to isolate the Palestinians who are facing what a UN committee, as well as Human Rights Watch, called an ‘extermination’ campaign by the unhinged third partner - Israel.

These night attacks were cowardly, increasing the risk of civilian casualties while darkness cloaked the hi-tech bombers, providing extra protection against anti-aircraft defences.

The RAF has overflown Gaza hundreds of times since October 2023 in support of the Israel military. The UK ‘Defence’ Minister Healey authorised the attack, claiming the strikes were carried out in our name - to protect the “economic security for families in the UK". This arms company front man is using us as human shields.

Parroting the usual stale lies about surgical strikes and high precision weapons which miraculously spare civilians, Healey said the strikes were carried out using "precision guided bombs" after "very careful planning" to hit targets "with minimal risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure". The UK Ministry of ‘Defence’ claimed the attack was launched at night "when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced yet further". Rather than the reality of attacks on Yemen in defence of genocidal Israel, this aggression is being pitched as yet another humanitarian bombing by the Coalition of Genocide. Healey brazenly asserted there was “no evidence of civilian casualties". This was a supposedly humane British support for Israeli genocide.

During the ten years of Saudi bombing of Yemen that slaughtered Yemeni children, the RAF maintained the warplanes, kept them flying to deliver the bombs sold by Britain to Riyadh to drop on Yemen.

But British barbarism isn’t a recent development; the RAF has a long history of terror bombing across the Middle East. Experimental techniques were perfected in Iraq from 1917. In 1936, while Britain and its Zionist allies were crushing the Palestinian revolt, Arthur “Bomber” Harris of Middle East Command summed up the jolly RAF - it would only take "one 250 lb or 500 lb bomb in each village that speaks out of turn" to solve the problem of brown-skinned rebels against the Empire. Since Iraq was in full revolt and every village was "speaking out of turn", Harris' call for a rain of 500 lb bombs across Iraq/Mespotamia was a project for the mass hi-tech killing of civilians as part of a war of aggression. Despite the humanitarian claims of Healey, it is Harris’ spirit that still rules in the RAF, exemplified by his statue gazing over the Strand, Westminster.

A similar veil was drawn over one previous British imperial adventure in Yemen when the anti-colonial rebels in Aden were faced with brutal repression by a the Argyles under the command of a brute revelling in the name of “Mad Mitch” (later rewarded by becoming an Aberdeen Tory MP). As with casualty-free British bombs today, the murder squads (I heard this from someone who had served there at that time in that Scottish regiment) went about their business until they were driven out by the rebels. Denied at the time, no one today can deny the brutality that took place.

There is criminal continuity from 1937 in Palestine, 1967 in South Yemen and today’s bombing of Yemen to allow the Israeli genocide to continue. Britain, we should never forget, has invaded and despoiled more countries than any other state. Those who resisted them were in the right; the RAF and the entire British military will never wash away the stain of joining in the current genocide.

Trump wants a future Gaza-by-the-Sea to compete with Dubai and Monaco - without any Palestinians. The RAF - with Starmer - is part of that criminal enterprise. They should, though, remember that the Saudi regime celebrated the successful conclusion of the first stage of their aggression in its own incomparably disgusting way; to celebrate this seeming sucess, Prince Waleed Bin Talal promised 100 Bentley cars to the 100 Saudi pilots involved.

The celebrations were premature - after ten years UK-aided Saudi forces were defeated and forced to withdraw. Trump may be about to meet his own 'Vietnam'.

Mick Napier
30 April 2025