When President Trump declared that help was on the way and invited the Iranians to attack their institution, there was some support here. And fear, of course. The last war with Iran six months prior left many Israelis even more traumatized, with several casualties and an entire neighborhood razed in the country. Yet, when he backed up a few days later, the disappointment in Israel was palpable. And many felt some guilt as well: We are abandoning the Iranians! 

Many Israelis have been expressing their solidarity with the Iranian people, who are risking their lives to challenge an authoritarian regime that has maintained control for decades through repression and fear. Social media is filled with messages of support, calls for freedom, and admiration for the bravery of the protesters in Iran.

Some Israelis have gone further, writing that if Iran retaliates against Israel after a possible American strike, they are ready to spend days or even weeks in bomb shelters, as they did during the war in June 2025. They frame this willingness as a form of moral contribution – a small personal sacrifice that might help free Iranians from a regime that fuels regional instability while brutally repressing its own people.

I understand this sentiment deeply. I share it and feel it, too.

I have worked with Iranians, many of whom no longer live in their country because dissent became unbearable, or their lives were at risk, for things as unbelievable as teaching yoga. I have listened to stories of prison cells, surveillance, forced exile, and families separated indefinitely. 

What we are learning today goes far beyond mere repression. We are witnessing reports of mass executions carried out in public spaces by the regime, the Revolutionary Guards, and affiliated militias, against their own population. With the internet repeatedly cut off, what reaches the outside world may be only a fraction of what is actually unfolding. The true scale of the........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)