No middle ground': Israelis back Iran war, despite taking mounting hits

"Voices like Greenberg's are rare in Israel at a time when public clamour for war is growing, and genocidal language already familiar to millions of Palestinians is reemerging, but with a different target—Iran. Officially, 11 Israelis have been killed in Iranian strikes since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28."

"Speaking at the site of an Iranian missile strike in West Jerusalem, shortly after the start of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to the use of apocalyptic language that has characterised the genocide his country has conducted in Gaza. Comparing Iranians with the Jewish people's biblical foe, Amalek, who the Jews had been divinely ordered to wipe from the face of the planet, Netanyahu told reporters: 'In this week's Torah portion, we read, Remember what Amalek did to you.' We remember, and we act."

"The 19-year-old Israeli antiwar activist had just described being spat on in the street and is the target of an online hate campaign. Yes! he finally responded. If I thought about it, I probably should be. I just don't have time."

Israeli public opinion increasingly supports military action as genocidal language resurfaces, now directed at Iran rather than Palestinians. Antiwar activists like 19-year-old Itamar Greenberg face physical harassment, online hate campaigns, and threats despite their efforts to oppose the conflict. Prime Minister Netanyahu employed apocalyptic biblical language comparing Iranians to Amalek, invoking divine justification for military action. Following US-Israeli strikes on Iran beginning February 28, Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting military sites and infrastructure. While Iran claims precise strikes on symbolic locations and Netanyahu's office, Israeli officials dispute these assertions. The escalating rhetoric and violence against dissenting voices reflect a broader regional conflict intensifying with limited space for peaceful opposition.

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