Following the elimination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated: "Anyone who opposes the axis of evil, all those who are choking under the brutal tyranny of Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, in Syria, in Iran itself, and in other areas - all of them have become filled with hope. I say to the citizens of those countries: Israel stands with you."
He would later release a video address speaking directly to the Iranian people in English, urging them to reject the regime and describing the possibilities for the future once it had been dismantled. ''The vast majority of Iranians know their regime doesn't care a whit about them. If it did care, if it cared about you, it would stop wasting billions of dollars on futile wars across the Middle East. It would start improving your lives. Imagine if all the vast money the regime wasted on nuclear weapons and foreign wars were invested in your children’s education, in improving your health care, in building your nation's infrastructure, water, sewage, all the other things that you need. Don't let a small group of fanatic theocrats crush your hopes and your dreams.''
Netanyahu's declaration was not made into a vacuum - there have been many reports in Syria of Arabs celebrating the elimination. When the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began escalating and the IDF ordered parts of southern Lebanon evacuated, some sections of the Lebanese population refused to shelter those fleeing the war.
Hezbollah has fought against both the Lebanese government and Syrian opposition, preventing the democratic government of the former country and helping keep the Assad regime in power in the latter. Large percentages of both populations have good reason to resent both Hezbollah and the IRGC that supports it.
Nor has this been the only instance of Arabs rejecting the attempts to move their populations to war with Israel. Several countries showed this with the Abraham Accords, the military potential of which was proven in Iran's direct attack against Israel in April.
Prime Minister Netanyahu recently told the UN that he is intent on adding Saudi Arabia to the alliance, bringing another significant Arab power into an open alliance with Israel against militant Islam. Along with the economic and military benefits such a step would provide, Saudi Arabia's status as the home of Mecca could provide significant religious leverage to sway public view of Israel in the Islamic world. It is also one of the few Arab powers in the region ready to directly oppose Iran.
In the same speech, Netanyahu displayed a map with Sudan highlighted as one of Israel's partners. Sudan normalized relations with Israel in February 2023, ignoring criticism from Iran and Iranian-backed factions. Neither the Swords of Iron war nor the recent Operation Northern Arrows have caused it to retract its accords. The initial agreement was based in part on Sudanese hopes for Israeli and USA weaponry to win its ongoing civil war, but it now includes significant civilian aspects such as agriculture, medicine, and construction. Sudan is still trying to grow relations with Iran to procure the weapon that Israel and the USA did not provide, but nevertheless sees Israel as the path to peace.
Both Egypt and Jordan are longtime allies of Israel, if stiffly formal ones at many points. They both have been attempting to stop the use of their borders to arm and fund terrorism. In April 2024, Jordan openly aided Israel in thwarting the Iranian UAV attack.
Turkey has acted similarly over the Swords of Iron war. Although they have taken a number of steps against Israel, Turkey has also clarified to Iran that they do not wish to be a party to the conflict, rejecting Iranian attempts to target Israelis in Turkey and limiting the asylum granted to Hamas leaders.
Gazan civilians fleeing the Swords of Iron war have repeatedly stated their displeasure with Hamas, especially as Israeli forces freed them of the fears of Hamas' reprisals.
In Yemen, the legitimate government has long sought a way to overthrow the Houthi rebel faction that has recently been escalating attacks on Israel. The international Operation Prosperity Guardian could reduce the Houthi power to the point where the state can finally merge from the ongoing civil war. In such a case, they might realistically refrain from initiating any further conflicts with Israel, even if they continue to reject normalization.
Even in the state sponsoring much of the terror - Iran - the public is weary of the constant hostilities. When Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi perished in a helicopter crash, despite Israel formally denying involvement, many Iranians celebrated with carefully concealed parties. Signs and graffiti have been spotted in Iran with slogans like "Netanyahu, we are ready for you," calling for Israel to weaken the IRGC enough for the people to topple it. Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran, told Arutz Sheva - Israel National News that the Iranian people will overthrow the Islamic regime if the West can give them the support to do so.
This sentiment is shared by Iranian expatriates in many countries, where open protests against the Islamic regime can often see the flags of Israel and Iran side by side. Iranian communities in the USA and Canada were recorded celebrating Nasrallah's elimination with signs thanking Israel.
Israel has repeatedly insisted on maintaining its capacity to defend itself by itself - but one Arab country after another is signaling that Israel is no longer as alone in the Middle East as it once was.
