For two years, Amer Ali, a resident of Aden in southern Yemen, actively participated in protests against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in over 68,000 casualties. Ali viewed these demonstrations as a moral obligation to oppose what the United Nations and genocide scholars have labeled as genocide. However, his commitment to the cause has been shaken by recent signals from the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Yemen’s primary separatist movement, indicating a willingness to normalize relations with Israel. Ali, a long-time supporter of southern secession, now finds himself at odds with the STC’s controversial stance. The STC, which has gained significant military and political influence since 2016 with support from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), controls much of southern Yemen. STC leader Aidarus al-Zoubaidi recently suggested that an independent southern state could pave the way for normalization with Israel, a move that has sparked widespread outrage across Yemen. Critics argue that such a decision would betray the Palestinian cause, which holds deep significance for Yemenis. Despite the STC’s claims that normalization could bring international recognition and stability, many Yemenis, including Ali, reject the idea outright. ‘Building ties with Israel to advance our cause is a grave misstep,’ Ali stated. ‘History will remember the STC as the first entity in Yemen to declare readiness to normalize relations with Israel.’ The STC’s alignment with the UAE, a signatory of the 2020 Abraham Accords with Israel, has further fueled suspicions that the council is prioritizing foreign interests over local sentiment. Political commentators like Sadam al-Huraibi argue that the STC’s pursuit of normalization is a strategic move to gain global legitimacy, but it risks alienating its base and undermining its long-term goals. As tensions rise, the STC’s controversial stance on Israel threatens to deepen divisions within Yemen’s already fractured political landscape.