Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not issue a public comment on the current wave of protests, but has repeatedly voiced support in the past for Iranians demonstrating against their rulers.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Israeli government ministers and lawmakers publicly voiced support this week for Iranians protesting against their government, as demonstrations across the Islamic Republic turned deadly and drew international attention.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry used its Farsi-language social media account to express solidarity with the protesters, posting a message praising what it described as a popular struggle against repression. “The rise of Iranian lions and lionesses to fight against darkness,” the post read. “Light triumphs over darkness.”
In a separate message earlier in the week, the ministry shared an image portraying Iranian leaders fleeing demonstrators, adding: “The destruction calendar they had set for Israel has now been set for themselves.”
Several cabinet ministers echoed the message. Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel addressed Iranians directly in English, writing: “Your protests, by women and men, young people and students, mothers and fathers, are justified. The regime is weakening every day, and these are its final moments.” Gamliel also shared a photograph of herself wearing a cap bearing the slogan “Make Iran Great Again” and tagged Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s deposed shah.
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli posted an image of an Iranian protester holding the pre-revolutionary lion and sun flag, accompanied by the statement: “I stand with the people of Iran.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not issue a public comment on the current wave of protests, but has repeatedly voiced support in the past for Iranians demonstrating against their rulers.
The statements from Jerusalem came as protests inside Iran continued for a second week, with reports of seven people killed during clashes with security forces. The fatalities occurred on Wednesday and Thursday in four cities.
The demonstrations are the largest seen in Iran since the nationwide unrest that followed the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022. While Iranian officials earlier in the week suggested a willingness to engage in dialogue with demonstrators, the reported deaths pointed to a more forceful response on the ground.
The current unrest began with shopkeepers protesting soaring living costs and economic pressure. It later widened as university students joined the demonstrations, voicing broader opposition to the regime and its policies.
Israeli officials have closely followed the developments, framing the protests as a sign of growing instability within Iran and expressing open support for those challenging the country’s leadership.
‘Make Iran Great Again’: Israeli ministers support Iranian demonstrators appeared first on World Israel News.