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'We are crazy radicals': Israel's anti-war protesters struggle against ruling consensus Jared Hillel on Wed, 03/18/2026 - 12:21 Israel's political and media class back the war on Iran, with the public following suit Protesters hold placards during a Stop The War demonstration, amid the US-Israel war on Iran, in central Tel Aviv, Israel, 7 March 2026 (Dylan Martinez/Reuters) Off On Saturday night, as the war on Iran entered its third week, a small group of Israelis assembled in central Jerusalem.  “One, two, three four, we don’t want your fucking war,” chanted protesters, some dressed in orange jumpsuits and donning masks bearing the face of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  Earlier that day, a protest with similar aims had been held in Tel Aviv. Neither demonstration gathered more than a hundred people.  One of the protesters was Lawrence Shenkin, a 23-year-old Orthodox Jew. “My God does not want the state, that claims to be in his name, to be waging wars and consistently killing thousands of people,” he told Middle East Eye.  Despite a civilian death toll that continues to mount, both domestically and across the Middle East, Shenkin knows his opinion places him in the minority.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); As it stands, 15 people have died in Israel, including nine on the second day after a direct strike on a building in Beit Shemesh, just west of Jerusalem. These figures pale in comparison to the carnage unleashed by Israel in both Iran and Lebanon, where thousands are dead and millions displaced. Despite the rising casualties, calling for an end to the violence is a fringe position in Israel.  “We are viewed as crazy radicals,” says Mitan, a 46-year-old woman who attended the protest in Tel Aviv earlier that day, before making her way north to Jerusalem. “Trump and Bibi [Netanyahu] dragged us into another pointless war. They try to keep us quiet but we can't sit at home anymore.” Israel’s anti war-coalition  While there is an elite consensus in Israeli society that this war will bring safety to the country, a few civil society voices have offered dissent.  As well as a handful of protests, 80 Jewish and Arab organisations recently signed an open letter to US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu. Put together by It’s Time, a coalition of peacebuilding groups, the letter calls to “stop the war with Iran - a war whose goals are unattainable and that lacks a clear exit strategy”.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); For Mika Almog, creative director for It’s Time and granddaughter of former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres, the war has caused Israeli society more harm than good. Schools are closed, the economy is hit and, she says, “our children are in constant danger of getting killed”.  'We are viewed as crazy radicals... Trump and Bibi dragged us into another pointless war' - Mitan, Israeli anti-war protester Almog says the current war did not begin in a vacuum. She traces regional instability back to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, something Netanyahu has shown no willingness to solve through diplomatic means. “There are seven million Palestinians who are living under occupation, who don’t have a future to look forward to,” Almog says. “This idea that you can keep them in this situation and it's not going to deteriorate is ludicrous.”  On top of pushing for diplomacy instead of never-ending military campaigns, Almog emphasises that one of the coalition's main objectives is to bring the idea of peace back into Israeli discourse.  She stresses that since the assassination of then-Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, “peace and negotiations have not been presented to the public as realistic options”. Almog notes that when the public is offered a realistic option of peace, willingness grows significantly. “When the only thing we have is war, then people end up supporting war,” she says. Political class lines up for war  While studies show that support for peace in Israeli society does increase when concrete diplomatic options are presented, voices presenting such an alternative are nowhere to be found in the current political establishment. While Netanyahu declared a “historic victory” over Iran a mere eight months ago, the prime minister has made clear that this new war against Iran is once again essential, proclaiming that “we are in a fateful campaign for our very existence”. For Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy, this war has been Netanyahu's “life project”. The veteran Israeli journalist, who also writes for Middle East Eye, says that even if fearmongering about Iran serves Netanyahu politically, “he really does believe that Iran is an existential danger”.  'There are seven million Palestinians who are living under occupation, who don’t have a future to look forward to' - Mika Almog, It's Time coalition Opposition parties have cemented this consensus. Rather than push for peaceful alternatives, many have outflanked Netanyahu, pushing even more hawkish, right-wing positions. On the first day of the war, leading political rival Naftali Bennett backed the army and prime minister, writing on X that, “The entire nation of Israel stands behind you until the destruction of the Iranian threat.”  Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, who is often described as a centrist, has called on the army to “destroy all the oil fields and energy industry” on Kharg Island, Tehran’s main oil export hub. But it's not only politicians who have rallied round the attacks on Iran. Israel’s media, much of which has portrayed the genocide in Gaza as an act of self-defence, has once again uncritically touted the views of the political establishment. Levy notes that within the mainstream, “raising doubts about the war is not legitimate, you will not hear it or see it”. One of the few Knesset members to speak out, Ofer Cassif of the communist-led Hadash-Ta'al coalition, has called the war “an imperialist aggression against the Iranian people”. But inside a united parliament, his calls for a diplomatic resolution are almost invisible.  Israeli public supports war on Iran Given the rabid support from mainstream media and politicians, it’s not surprising that Israel’s public is heavily in favour of the war. According to the latest polls from the Israel Democracy Institute, 92.5 percent of Israelis support Operation Roaring Lion, the codename for this war. The picture is different among Palestinian citizens of Israel, with 65 percent voicing opposition. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A large part of this support stems from the belief that Iran poses the single largest threat to Israel’s security.  Ofer Shelah, former Knesset member and researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), explains that for over a decade, Israelis have come to see Iran as “the source of all evil”. Shelah argues that this perceived danger legitimises each military campaign, even if the death toll domestically continues to rise. “It's a rationale for almost everything we do, because if we don't do it, we will be faced with more October 7ths.”  A protester in central Tel Aviv, Israel, 7 March 2026 (Dylan Martinez/Reuters) And yet, despite facing a prevailing consensus that a continued war is what’s right for the country, Israel’s pacifist movement perseveres.  For Shenkin, the small recent protests are an opportunity to call for a new government, one that can potentially effect change.  “I hope we see a government that includes Arab, moderate and left-wing voices, and that they're given some political power that we see put into action,” he says. While some activists express optimism, the circumstances under which they are operating are undeniably difficult. Demonstrations are small, and while some passersby honk to show support, others roll down their windows to hurl insults at protesters.  They have also had to contend with an aggressive police force. A recent demonstration in Tel Aviv was broken up within 20 minutes, and activists in both Haifa and Tel Aviv have been arrested. Levy points out that if the war continues to drag on, further resistance may begin to spring up. “Right now, the price is reasonable,” he says. “Let's wait, if it really becomes a war of months, criticism will get stronger.”  For now, the movement remains small, with a message that doesn’t resonate with the broader public. “War is a temporary measure with temporary solutions,” says Shenkin, “but another head will rear itself until we make peace.” Inside Israel Jerusalem News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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Iran confirms deaths of Larijani and Soleimani after Israeli strikes  Helsinki Times

Republican leaders reject demands for public hearings on Trump's war with Iran  NBC News

Iran orders evacuation of Gulf energy faculties in response to Israel strike Fars News Agency reports that Iran intends to respond to strikes on its gas faculties by targeting “enemy infrastructure that was previously thought to be safe”, citing Iranian military sources. The Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has posted an “urgent warning” for people to evacuate five energy facilities in the Gulf. Its targets include: the Samref refinery, the al-Jubail petrochemical complex and Masaiid Holding Company in Saudi Arabia, the al-Hosn gas field in the United Arab Emirates and the Ras Laffan refinery in Qatar. The statement has said that "these centres have become direct and legitimate targets and will be targeted in the coming hours”, calling the attack on their gas faculty by Israel a “war crime”.

Will Congress back an Iran war supplemental? Rep. Rob Wittman thinks so.  Breaking Defense

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WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has full confidence in Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Wednesday, after a top security official resigned over the war in Iran. Joe Kent, who headed the National Counterterrorism Center, and is the first senior official in Trump's administration to resign over the conflict, was not involved in any discussions on the Iran operation, Leavitt said. (Reporting by Katharine Jackson, and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Caitlin Webber)

What we know on the 19th day of the US and Israel’s war with Iran  WKOW

Israeli strikes on Lebanon leave a classroom of children dead or wounded every day, UN says Fleur Hargreaves on Wed, 03/18/2026 - 11:58 Unicef says Israeli attacks killing or wounding 30 children daily, the equivalent of a classroom A child sleeps alongside family belongings in a makeshift encampment along the waterfront in Beirut on 10 March 2026 (AFP) Off Israel’s war on Lebanon has killed or wounded the equivalent of an entire classroom of children daily, according to a top official of the UN children’s agency. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli strikes have killed at least 111 children and wounded 334 since Israel expanded its attacks on Lebanon two weeks ago.  “That’s a classroom of children every day since the beginning of the war that’s either killed or injured in Lebanon,” Unicef deputy executive director, Ted Chaiban, told Reuters in Beirut on Tuesday. “They’ve paid a terrible price. And the first thing we’re calling for is a de-escalation, a political way forward to this war.” Israeli strikes have killed more than 900 people since 2 March and displaced more than one million, including 350,000 children.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “It’s completely disrupting children’s lives. No home, no school, no sense of normalcy,” Chaiban said. Displaced families interviewed by Reuters said the shelters they are taking refuge in have limited electricity, no heating and not enough bathrooms or running water. At least 38 health workers have also been killed in Israeli strikes in the last two weeks, and civilian infrastructure has been targeted.  “There is no place for attacking health infrastructure, water infrastructure, schools. They all need to be places that are protected,” Chaiban said. Save the Children’s director for Lebanon, Nora Ingdal, called these air strikes “devastating” and emphasised that “these are not just numbers – these are young lives cut short and children whose futures have been forever scarred by war.” (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 'This is only the beginning' The Israeli army relaunched its attacks on Lebanon following strikes by Hezbollah on 28 February in retaliation for the killing of the Iranian supreme leader in a joint US-Israeli bombing campaign on Iran. Before that, Israel had violated a November 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah hundreds of times through near-daily attacks on Lebanon and the military occupation of territories in the south. Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on 5 March that Beirut’s southern suburbs “will look like Khan Younis” in reference to the destroyed city in southern Gaza. Israeli defence minister threatens to take Lebanese territory and keep razing infrastructure Read More » About 14 percent of Lebanon’s territory is currently under Israeli orders for residents to leave their homes, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council. The Israeil military on Friday destroyed a bridge over the Litani River, which bisects southern Lebanon from east to west.  On Wednesday, the military said it would target bridges and crossings over the Litani, essentially cutting off a large part of the south from the rest of the country. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened the Lebanese government that Israel will continue attacks on the region until Hezbollah is disarmed. “This is only the beginning, and the Lebanese government and the Lebanese state will pay an increasing price through damage to Lebanese national infrastructure that is used by Hezbollah terrorists,” Katz warned. However, France’s special envoy for Lebanon has said it is unrealistic to expect Beirut to disarm Hezbollah, a goal which Israel's long occupation of southern Lebanon from 1982 to 2000 failed to achieve, in such a short time whilst under bombardment.  The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the UK issued a joint statement on Monday, warning that “a significant Israeli ground offensive would have devastating humanitarian consequences” and “must be averted”. Hezbollah has insisted that it cannot disarm as long as Israel poses a threat to the region. Israel's war on Lebanon News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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Hezbollah ignites blowback from its base as over 1 million flee war with Israel  The Washington Post

Belgium and Italy deploy soldiers to help protect Jewish sites as Iran war fuels surge of antisemitism  CBS News

Rising energy costs caused by the Iran war have forced Egypt to hike fuel and cooking gas prices, hitting the country's already struggling poor and middle classes hard

Defense minister reveals IDF has free hand to 'eliminate' any senior Iranian security figures; Wall Street Journal reports Iranian security officials being hunted with drones The post Israel says Iran’s intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib killed in Tehran strike appeared first on The Times of Israel.

How Dubai and UAE are being affected by Iran attacks and US-Israeli war

FO Live: Iran War Analysis — Will the Trump Administration Put Boots on the Ground?  Fair Observer

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is heading to the United States for what she expects to be a “very difficult” meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump

The United Arab Emirates' banks have seen their stocks plummet since the war erupted on Feb. 28.