The war against Iran unites Israelis around the government: "When you see that you are being attacked, there is no other option."

JerusalemThe start of open warfare with Iran has triggered an immediate political reaction in Israel: The united front against a threat perceived as existential. Support for the attacks against Tehran is, in these early days, widespread. "I believe the regime must end," says a young woman of Iranian parents, born in Jerusalem. "It's not just for the freedom of the Iranian people, but for ours. We have a lot of faith in Bibi and the government."

The tension that had built up over days of US military preparations and Benjamin Netanyahu's constant warnings has given way to a sense of relief: the uncertainty has dissipated, and a significant portion of the population seems aligned with the prime minister's official narrative of defense and national survival. "When you see your country under attack, there's no choice: you have to support the defense," says a high school teacher in a shelter in the Holy City. "Here, we're not just talking about Netanyahu's policies, but about our survival as a people."

According to recent data, just days before the outbreak of the war, The majority of the population gave almost unwavering support for action against IranA Channel 12 poll indicated that 59% of Israelis supported a joint military operation with the United States. In January, support was more divided: 45% supported a preemptive Israeli attack against Iran, while 43% opposed it, according to the Institute for National Security Studies.

This support is rooted in Israel's founding narrative. The collective memory of a persecuted people who have had to defend their existence often makes the idea of ​​national continuity prevail over other considerations. The attacks by Hamas, an Iranian ally, on October 7, 2023, acted as a catalyst for this perception of threat, which was reinforced by the war against Tehran last June. In recent hours, the sense of aggression in the country has intensified. An Iranian ballistic missile struck the Bechemeix area in western Jerusalem, killing nine people and injuring more than forty, according to Israeli media. In total, at least ten people have died between this attack and the first missile that struck Tel Aviv last night.

However, support is not uniform. After years of internal polarization—protests against judicial reform, institutional erosion, and the legal cases affecting the prime minister—liberal and left-leaning sectors, as well as Arab Israeli citizens, are more skeptical about the appropriateness and success of the offensive. But they are a minority. "This minority does not agree with the war and fears the human and economic repercussions, but the idea of ​​defense, national pride, and the perception of the external threat prevail in the country," Xavier Abu Eid, a Palestinian political scientist specializing in international relations, explained to ARA. "I don't think an anti-war or anti-government movement will form to demand accountability from the government for the war, neither now nor in the coming months."

Opposition support for the government

In the political arena, Netanyahu has also succeeded in uniting the country around the concept of the "existential" threat posed by Iran. Almost the entire opposition has publicly supported the attacks, setting aside previous disputes over the conscription of ultra-Orthodox men or the investigation into the October 7 attacks. "We stand united behind the fighters and the security forces in the most justified operation there is," said opposition leader Yair Lapid on Saturday. These statements contrasted sharply with his earlier actions, when Lapid had boycotted a speech by Netanyahu during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, one of Netanyahu's main rivals in the lead-up to the October elections, also expressed his "full support for the IDF, the Israeli government, and the prime minister." Other opposition figures, such as Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, reaffirmed that They were all united behind the government for the security of Israel and the region. Only a few representatives from other political sectors have criticized going to war with Iran, claiming that the prime minister is pursuing this war to cling to power. The Arab-majority Hadash party has condemned the attacks, warning that Israel has become a tool of US imperialism, while the moderate Islamist Joint List party has called for greater protection for Arab citizens, many of whom lack adequate shelter.

For Netanyahu, the war is a political opportunity. After months of internal dissent, he projects an image of firm command over a regime that, in his view, has been "crying 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to America' for 47 years." The narrative of the external threat reduces, at least temporarily, the weight of the national confrontation and activates a classic effect of rally around the flagMuch of Israeli society has rallied around the government, which has strengthened support for Netanyahu and momentarily eased the political divisions that had marked recent months.