TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel is “closely monitoring” the fallout from widespread Iranian protests, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to attack Iran could escalate the unrest into a regional war.
Netanyahu made the comments at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, saying he was in awe of what he described as the heroism of Iranian citizens and condemning the killing of civilians. “The people of Israel, the entire world, are in awe of the tremendous heroism of the citizens of Iran,” Netanyahu said, adding that he hoped to rebuild relations between Israel and Iran once the country was “freed from the yoke of tyranny.”
Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke overnight Saturday about issues including Iran, an Israeli official said on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The Israeli military said there were no new guidelines for civilians to stay close to bomb shelters, citing concerns about an attack of Iranian missiles.
The military said the protests in Iran are an “internal Iranian matter,” while adding that it “will be equipped to respond with power if need be.” A former Israeli intelligence official who now works as a senior researcher with the Institute for National Security Studies said Israel is unlikely to instigate an attack against Iran even though the protests are distracting Iranian leadership.
Danny Citrinowicz said the last thing Iran wants is diverting its attention toward Israel. “From an Iranian standpoint, the last thing Iran wants to see is diverting their attention towards Israel,” Citrinowicz said, adding that “Their priority, first and foremost, is to retrieve the calmness and stability in Iran.” He said the current situation was too uncertain for Israel to rush, and that Israel was likely to wait and see what happens next. Citrinowicz also said “neither side has an appetite” to start another round of the 12-day war that ended last summer.
That war began with Israel targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, Israel saying it could not allow Tehran to develop atomic weapons. The Associated Press report said Israeli strikes killed 1,190 people and wounded another 4,475, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, while Iran’s missile barrages killed almost 30 people in Israel and wounded 1,000. On Sunday, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America strikes the Islamic Republic as lawmakers rushed the dais and shouted “Death to America!”
The U.S. has publicly signaled it expects follow-through on its threats. The State Department warned Saturday: “Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he’ll do something, he means it,” the report said.
Citrinowicz said an attack—whether by the United States or Israel—could have the opposite effect on the protests, possibly weakening them by fostering patriotism and uniting people against a common enemy. Other analysts said Israel’s priorities appeared more focused on missile risks than on attempting to influence internal politics.
Menahem Merhavy, an expert on Iran at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said Israel is mainly concerned with ballistic missiles rather than who governs Iran. “What Israel is really concerned with is ballistic missiles, and stuff like that, not what kind of regime is going to be in Iran,” Merhavy said, adding: “Unless there’s something really dramatic happening with missiles, I don’t see Israel stepping into this.”
Merhavy also argued that an Iranian attack against Israel would be self-defeating. He said it would be “a suicide note for the regime” and that there would be little outcry if Israel responded strongly, saying, “There are few tears that will be shed if, say, Israel kills the minister of foreign affairs.” He said Israel could potentially help on the margins—such as by enabling internet access to certain individuals or leaders—but called even that doubtful.
“Izrael doesn’t want to meddle with this. It’s internally an Iranian matter,” Merhavy said.