RAMALLAH, West Bank — As the White House weighs a potential military intervention in Iran amid massive protests across the country, political leaders in the region are closely monitoring the course of demonstrations.
In Israel — whose existence Iran has long vehemently, ideologically opposed — there is broad support for the protesters among defense and political officials.
"From Israel's perspective, regime destabilization, regime change, has been the goal for a long time," says Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst for Israel at the International Crisis Group.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, though, Palestinians say they hope the regime stays in place and protests die down soon.
"Who else has been able to fight Israel?" says Abu Akram, a driver who ferries goods from Jordan to the West Bank. "It has been Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah," he said, referring to the Iranian-funded militant group.
Opposition to Israel's existence and support for a Palestinian state are core tenets of Hezbollah. It was once a powerful, non-state actor in the Middle East, but its fighting capabilities have been substantially depleted after a recent war with Israel.
With protests in their third week in Iran, human rights groups estimate at least 646 people have been killed in escalating demonstrations so far, though a near-total communications blackout has made verifying casualties extremely difficult.
Last month, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Trump at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where Trump warned of potentially more U.S. airstrikes on Iran. This week, Trump told reporters, "We are looking at it very seriously; the military is looking at it, and we're looking at some very strong options." On Tuesday, he posted a message on Truth Social addressed to Iranian protesters, saying, "HELP IS ON ITS WAY."
Iran and Israel also traded missiles during their 12-day conflict last June, pounding cities in both countries and killing 436 civilians in Iran and 28 civilians in Israel.
"On all fronts — Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and the West Bank — the only front on which there was less of a restraining approach was Iran," at the Mar-a-Lago meeting, says Nimrod Novik, a fellow with the Israel Policy Forum who served as a senior policy adviser to former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres.
Netanyahu is reportedly considering another round of strikes on Iran over concerns Tehran is rebuilding its nuclear sites.
"[Israel] does see the combination of this last operation in June, plus the economic hardships in Iran and now these protests as successful, meaning maximum pressure, military pressure, it works," says Zonszein. But she also notes Israel's military has been holding back, waiting to see what the U.S. does — or does not — do.
"A military strike is not going to just get rid of the regime," says Zonszein. "And that even if you do take out [Iran's supreme leader Ali] Khamenei in a Venezuelan model of some kind, what replaces that? It could be worse. It could be chaotic."
Should the current regime in Iran fall, many Palestinians say they are pessimistic any government that replaces it will be beneficial for their hopes for a Palestinian state one day.
"Any government that comes after [in Iran] will be against us," says Ibrahim Issa, a shop manager in Ramallah. "It will be worse [government] than the one before if it is installed by the U.S.A."
Michele Kelemen contributed reporting from Tel Aviv. Nuha Musleh contributed reporting from Ramallah.
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