Several Israeli media reports in recent days have discussed the possibility of an imminent Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The reports stated that Israel's security establishment, the IDF, Mossad and Shin Bet object to attacking Iran [1], while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman are pushing the cabinet to agree to strike Iran [2].
Following these reports, the Israeli public, for the first time, started seriously debating this important issue.
As Larry Dafner wrote on +972 Magazine [3]:
Finally, it’s happened. After years of hearing and talking about nothing but the potential danger of a nuclear Iran, this country is hearing and talking about the potential danger of trying to pre-empt that first danger with fighter bombers. We’re hearing not just about “the Iranian threat,” but about “the Israeli threat,” too. And after years of listening to the hasbara king talk about Hitler and 1938 and Holocaust déjà vu, the Israeli public is hearing, indirectly, from the people they trust more than they trust the politicians – the professionals, the career warriors and spies – and the word they’re hearing from those tough guys is a very loud, urgent “NO.”
The response to these reports and the possibility of attacking Iran's nuclear facilities was unanimously negative among Israeli netizens. Some have even started a Facebook event for a protest in front of the Israeli Ministry of Defense [4] in Tel Aviv on November 6 against a strike on Iran.
Many netizens saw a possible attack on Iran as a diversion tactic from the recent wave of social justice protests against the economic policies of the Netanyahu government.
חלאס כבר עם האיום האיראני. אם ייפול פה טיל גרעיני נראה התחלה של הבזק והכל ייגמר. זה אפילו לא יכאב. אוברדראפט, לעומת זאת, מרגישים כל הזמן
@haimhz [5]: Enough already with the Iranian threat. If a nuclear missile lands here, we'll see the beginning of a flash and everything will be over. It won't even hurt. An overdraft [living in debt due to Israel's economic policies], on the other hand, you feel all the time.
אם אין לחם תאכלו מלחמה עם איראן
@YishaiO [6]: If there's no bread, eat a war with Iran
אז, למה כולם מדברים על איראן עכשיו? אפרנטלי אהוד ברק עבד קרוב עם כל כתבי הצבא כדי לשכנע שאוטוטו תוקפים. למה? רצו לקצץ בתקציב הביטחון
@odaskal [7]: So why is everyone talking about Iran now? Apparently, Ehud Barak has worked closely with all the military affairs correspondents to convince them we're about to strike. Why? Because they wanted to cut the defense budget.
Others lamented what they perceived to be the stupidity and recklessness of Israel's leadership.
מטורללים, חידלו! #איראן
זה בערך משהו כזה: “אוי לא! הבריון הזה רוצה להרביץ לי! אז עדיף שארביץ לו קודם, ואז זה יראה לו והוא יבכה וילך הביתה!” #איראן
@a_Daydreamer [8]:
Crazy people [9], stop this! This is basically something like: “oh no! This bully wants to beat me up! So it's better I beat him up first, and this will show him and he'll cry and go home!” #Iran
למיטוט הרשות הפלסטינית הקישו 1. למלחמה עם איראן הקישו 2. למאות טילים על ת״א הקישו 3. להתבצרות במצדה הקישו 4. לגוג ומגוג הקישו 0 או המתינו
@doroniko [10]: For causing the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, press 1. For war with Iran, press 2. For hundreds of missiles on Tel Aviv, press 3. For fortifying ourselves on the
Masada [11][before committing mass suicide], press 4. For
Gog and Magog [12] [end of the world] press 0 or wait.
“ראיתי שתוקפים אותנו מעזה, את המצב במצרים ובסוריה ואמרתי לעצמי מה שכל ראש ממשלה שפוי היה אומר לעצמו: בוא נפתח עוד חזית” #ביבי.נאום.לאומה
@Omerbara [13]: I saw we were being attacked from Gaza, the situation in Egypt and Syria and told myself what every sane Prime Minister would tell himself: let's open another front. #BibiSpeechToTheNation
אזרחים מטומטמים. לא רק שהממשלה גוזלת מכם את הזכות לחיות בכבוד וברווחה, עכשיו היא גם תגזול מכם את הזכות לחיות #מבצע.איראן
@shanirabi [14]: Stupid citizens. Not only does this government rob you for the right to live in dignity and prosperity, now it will also rob you for the right to live. #OperationIran
Some, of course, used to opportunity to crack jokes. Referencing the slew of recent leaks, Rubynet wrote:
פירסט רול אוף איראן פייט קלאב, יו דונט טוק אבאוט איראן פייט קלאב #מתוך:בטחון.למתחילים
@Rubynet [15]: First rule of Iran fight club, you don't talk about Iran fight club. #From:SecurityForBeginners
Itamar Shaltiel joked about the possible benefits from Israeli cities being subjected to missile fire.
אם נתקוף באיראן, יהיו טילים על תל-אביב. אם יהיו טילים על תל-אביב, מחירי הדירות ירדו. אם מחירי הדירות ירדו, נשיג צדק חברתי #ווין #j14
@itamars [16]: If we attack Iran, missiles will land in Tel Aviv. If missiles land in Tel Aviv, the cost of apartments will go down. If the cost of apartments goes down, we'll get social justice. #WIN #j14