Time for Jews to repay ancient debt to Cyrus the Great and liberate Iran, says Netanyahu
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From Beersheba to Babylon: Netanyahu casts himself as liberator of Iran
Netanyahu suggests time had come for the Jews to repay their ancient debt to Cyrus the Great and bring liberation to Iran. He toyed with the idea of regime change in Iran – the leader of a 10 million-strong nation calling on a population almost ten times bigger to overthrow the clerical regime that has ruled the country since the 1979 revolution. There are fewer guarantees that an aerial bombing campaign – not an option for the ancients – can change another country’s leadership in the way favoured by the bombers. At worst, bombing campaigns can bring monsters to power, as the US bombing of Cambodia helped create the Khmer Rouge. Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, had stood in the same spot, with the same charred building behind him, and made the same argument, telling Iran’s leaders: “Your crimes against humanity, your war crimes, won’t deter us.” The Israeli prime minister is carrying himself as a man of destiny. If he had not acted, Soroka could well have gone down in history as the worst loss of life since the Hamas massacre of civilians on 7 October 2023.
The Israeli prime minister had just made a tour of Beersheba’s Soroka hospital which a few hours earlier had sustained a direct hit from an Iranian ballistic missile on one of its buildings. It was for that reason the scene of an escape which was already being dubbed miraculous by Israel’s leaders.
The hospital’s director had only just ordered the evacuation from that particular building’s upper floors, and the last of the patients had only been moved out hours before the missile struck. If he had not acted, Soroka could well have gone down in history as Israel’s worst loss of life since the Hamas massacre of civilians on 7 October 2023.
Netanyahu’s long grip on power had looked irretrievably broken on that date 20 months ago, as his security forces had been powerless to save Israeli lives. But now, two wars on, with over 55,000 more people dead, the prime minister is carrying himself as a man of destiny.
Increasingly confident of fundamentally redrawing the map of the Middle East, he toyed with the idea of regime change in Iran – the leader of a 10 million-strong nation calling on a population almost ten times bigger to overthrow the clerical regime that has ruled the country since the 1979 revolution.
“People ask me – are we targeting the downfall of the regime?” Netanyahu said, talking to the press in a hospital compound strewn with broken glass for hundreds of metres, glinting in the desert sun. “That may be a result, but it’s up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom. Freedom is never cheap. It’s never free. Freedom requires these subjugated people to rise up, and it’s up to them. But we may create conditions that will help them do it.”
If Israeli bombs were to break down the pillars of the Islamic Republic, Netanyahu said it would represent the paying of millenia-old dues, dating back to the liberation of the Jews from captivity in Babylon, by the Cyrus of Persia, the legendary predecessor of the ayatollahs.
“I want to tell you that 2,500 years ago, Cyrus the Great, the king of Persia, liberated the Jews. And today, a Jewish state is creating the means to liberate the Persian people,” he said.
When Cyrus stormed ancient Babylon, it was by land invasion. There are fewer guarantees that an aerial bombing campaign – not an option for the ancients – can change another country’s leadership in the way favoured by the bombers.
So far there are signs that even fervent opponents of the oppressive regime are rallying to its cause in the face of an outside threat. At worst, bombing campaigns can bring monsters to power, as the US bombing of Cambodia helped create the Khmer Rouge.
On this occasion, Netanyahu had come to the southern city of Beersheba, on the edge of the Negev desert, to paint Iran’s leaders as monsters for the bombing of the Soroka hospital.
“We’re targeting missile sites. They’re targeting a hospital,” he said. “They’re targeting civilians because they’re a criminal regime. They’re the arch-terrorists of the world.”
An hour earlier, Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, had stood in the same spot, with the same charred building behind him, and made the same argument, telling Iran’s leaders: “Your crimes against humanity, your war crimes, won’t deter us.”
Herzog left without taking questions, nor was Netanyahu challenged with questions over Israel’s relentless destruction of the hospitals and clinics of Gaza, where 2.2 million Palestinians have been locked in, under conditions of near-starvation reminiscent of accounts of Middle East sieges of ancient times and the Middle Ages.
Aryeh Myers, a spokesperson for the Israeli Magen David Adom emergency services, argued that there was a critical distinction, pointing to Israeli claims of Hamas strongholds under Gaza’s medical facilities.
“The main difference between this hospital is it is a totally civilian hospital,” Myers said, as he helped oversee the evacuation of bedridden patients to other hospitals in the region. “There are no tunnels underneath [Soroka] – it’s not housing terrorist headquarters. This hospital is for the civilians who live in the Negev region – whether they are Jewish residents, Muslim residents, whoever it is.
“We’ve got a huge Bedouin community that live in this area who are served very much by this hospital. And the fact that this hospital was targeted is a horrendous state of affairs,” he said.
International humanitarian law affords strong protections to hospitals, clinics, ambulances, and their staff, who are to be protected at all times. The bar for infringement is set very high.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, argued that the Iranian missile had been aimed at a nearby Israeli military headquarters and claimed Soroka hospital only suffered “superficial” damage from the blast wave. There was no question the damaged hospital building had been hit directly, however, and the map Araghchi used to illustrate his online claims bore little relation to the actual downtown area of Beersheba.
On the other hand, Netanyahu’s claims that he knew all of Israel’s military sites and there was not such a site “for miles and miles around”, also seemed open to interpretation.
The prime minister has a reputation for creativity when it comes to spinning a narrative, especially in this mood, as he surveyed thousands of years of history. Ultimately, he suggested, final liberation for Jews and Persians could depend on another latter day king far beyond these shores, whose evangelical supporters have also likened to Cyrus the Great.
Netanyahu described Donald Trump as a saviour in waiting – “a tremendous friend, a tremendous world leader”, who he praised for “his resolve, his determination, and his clarity”. The message has been consistent for several days now: if Israel is to play the transformative role for the ages that Netanyahu has in mind, it is clearly going to need a lot of help.
The Iranian people’s thunderous rebellion
The Iranian masses are rising, fueled by years of suffering and ignited by a blazing truth: Israel, led by the indomitable Benjamin Netanyahu, has become their liberator. Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, a relentless storm of precision strikes, has smashed the regime’s nuclear facilities, obliterated its military command, and gutted its ballistic missile arsenal. “The time has come for the Iranian people to unite around your flag and its historic legacy,” Netanyahu thundered, echoing the cry of “Woman, Life, Freedom – Zan, Zendegi, Azadi.” This is the hour of thunder, the moment for Iran to seize its freedom and for Israel to repay an ancient debt forged by Cyrus the Great 2,500 years ago, writes Alireza Naqshbandi, an Iranian-American journalist and commentator. The Islamic Republic is a cancer, devouring Iran’s spirit and spreading its poison across the Middle East, he writes. The streets pulse with defiance across cities and villages, from Tehran to Tabriz.
But now, although Israel’s blocking internet in Iran hides it from the Western media, the ground shakes with the fury of a people awakening. The Iranian masses are rising, their rage a wildfire, fueled by years of suffering and ignited by a blazing truth: Israel, led by the indomitable Benjamin Netanyahu, has become their liberator, striking the regime’s heart with unrelenting force. This is no time for whispers or hesitation—this is the hour of thunder, the moment for Iran to seize its freedom and for Israel to repay an ancient debt forged by Cyrus the Great 2,500 years ago.
The Islamic Republic is a cancer, devouring Iran’s spirit and spreading its poison across the Middle East. It has turned a once-vibrant civilization into a prison, where women are beaten for showing their hair, where youth are tortured for daring to dream, and where entire communities are starved to fund the regime’s proxy wars.
The ayatollahs, cloaked in false piety, have looted Iran’s wealth to build missiles and militias, leaving millions in poverty while their Revolutionary Guards crush skulls and break spirits. This is not governance—it is slavery. The regime’s nuclear ambitions, a dagger aimed at the world, have only tightened the noose around Iran’s neck, chaining its people to a future of isolation and fear.
But the chains are breaking. Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, a relentless storm of precision strikes, has smashed the regime’s nuclear facilities, obliterated its military command, and gutted its ballistic missile arsenal. Over 200 targets— command centers, enrichment sites, fuel depots—lie in ruins, their ashes a testament to Israel’s resolve.
Netanyahu, a warrior-king in the mold of ancient heroes, has not merely attacked; he has unleashed a reckoning. “We will hit every site, every target of the ayatollah regime,” he declared, his words a clarion call to a people yearning for liberation. The regime’s leaders, from Khamenei to those who are left of his bloodthirsty generals, are not just shaken; they are packing their bags and hiding, their grip on power crumbling, as Israel’s jets roar over Tehran.
This is no coincidence but destiny. Over 2,500 years ago, Cyrus the Great, Persia’s enlightened ruler, freed the Jews from Babylonian captivity, restoring their dignity and homeland. Now, Benjamin Netanyahu repays that ancient debt, not with words but fire and steel.
Israel’s strikes are not just military—they are a beacon, a call to arms for every Iranian who has suffered under the regime’s boot. “The time has come for the Iranian people to unite around your flag and its historic legacy,” Netanyahu thundered, echoing the cry of “Woman, Life, Freedom – Zan, Zendegi, Azadi.”
This is not Israel against Iran; this is Israel and Iran’s true sons and daughters against a common enemy—the murderous Islamic Republic that has oppressed both nations.
Iranian people hear this call. The streets pulse with defiance across cities and villages, from Tehran to Tabriz. Social media burns with voices proclaiming what the regime fears most: “The vast majority of us Iranians, 90% or more, support Israel,” one post declares, capturing the sentiment of millions. The 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising showed the world Iran’s courage, as women burned their hijabs and men faced bullets for liberty.
Now, with the regime’s defenses shattered and its commanders dead, the moment is ripe. This is not a protest—it is a revolution. The Iranian people are not begging for scraps; they must be ready to tear down the ayatollahs’ empire and reclaim their nation.
The regime’s retaliation—missiles raining on Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, targeting civilians—only exposes its desperation. These are the death throes of a beast cornered, lashing out as its power collapses. Over 100 missiles and drones, launched in their so-called “True Promise 3,” have killed innocents, including the elderly and children, in Israel.
But Israel stands unbroken, intercepting threats with iron resolve, its people united, its military unmatched. The regime’s boasts of “strategic targets” are hollow; their strikes are reckless, their defenses porous. Netanyahu’s warning—“More is on the way”—is no idle threat. Israel’s campaign will not stop until the ayatollahs’ regime is ash, its nuclear dreams buried, and its terror machine dismantled.
This war is Iran’s chance, its only chance, to rise. The regime’s weakness is laid bare: its commanders dead, its nuclear sites in ruins, its economy crippled. The Iranian people must seize this moment, flooding the streets in millions, tearing down the symbols of oppression, and driving the mullahs from power.
The opposition, though fragmented, pulses with potential. Many feel thaat exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi, heir to Iran’s proud monarchy, is the only chance for a free Iran. Israel’s strikes have cleared the path; now the Iranian people must charge through it, armed with courage and the dream of a nation reborn.
Israel’s fight is Iran’s fight. Netanyahu’s vision is not just the destruction of a nuclear threat but the liberation of a people. The ayatollahs have brought Iran to its knees, but Israel has given it a sword.
“Your light will defeat the darkness,” Netanyahu told Iranians, and they are answering. The regime’s days are numbered, its lies unraveling, its terror crumbling. This is the hour of reckoning, when Iran’s ancient glory will rise again, hand in hand with Israel, as brothers in freedom. The thunder of rebellion rolls; the Islamic Republic will fall.
‘King Cyrus freed the Jews, perhaps now we’ll free the Persians’
‘King Cyrus freed the Jews, perhaps now we’ll free the Persians’ Public discontent in Iran is high, with recent years seeing repeated waves of protests against the regime. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “It certainly could be the result, because the Iranian regime is very weak.” “A tornado is whipping through Iran. Symbols of the regime are exploding and falling down and millions of citizens are fleeing. This is how a dictatorship crumbles,” he added.
Public discontent in Iran is high, with recent years seeing repeated waves of protests against the regime.
By Hezy Laing, World Israel News
Are Israel’s war goals changing? IDF Spokesman Effie Defrin originally said the goal of the Rising Lion campaign was, “dismantling Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and removing its capabilities to annihilate Israel.”
However, when asked recently whether regime change in Iran was one of Israel’s objectives, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “It certainly could be the result, because the Iranian regime is very weak.”
In an Israeli television interview, Netanyahu restated this possible goal, “King Cyrus freed the Jews, perhaps now we’ll free the Persians”.
Defense Minister Israel Katz tweeted a similar message today, “A tornado is whipping through Iran. Symbols of the regime are exploding and falling down and millions of citizens are fleeing. This is how a dictatorship crumbles.”
The original goal of Israel’s Operation Rising Lion was to deliver a decisive, preemptive blow against Iran’s nuclear weapons program and its capacity to threaten Israel’s survival.
Specifically, the operation aimed to roll back an existential threat to Israel, in line with the country’s long-standing “Begin Doctrine,” which seeks to prevent hostile states from acquiring nuclear weapons.
This meant setting back Iran’s efforts to build nuclear weapons by striking nuclear facilities and eliminating central nuclear personnel.
Israel also wanted to cripple Iran’s ability to respond effectively by eliminating key military leaders, disrupting command and control, and destroying missile and air defense infrastructure.
But as Israel’s dominance grows, the chances that its attacks may lead to the downfall of the Islamic regime increases.
Public discontent in Iran is high. Recent years have seen repeated waves of protests against the regime, most notably the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement after Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022, and ongoing economic, environmental, and social grievances.
Observers note that the regime’s vulnerability is increasing, and opposition factions have called for renewed mass mobilization, but the immediate effect of the war has been to suppress large-scale protest activity, at least temporarily.
The Iranian people’s thunderous rebellion
The Iranian masses are rising, fueled by years of suffering and ignited by a blazing truth. Israel, led by the indomitable Benjamin Netanyahu, has become their liberator, striking the regime’s heart with unrelenting force. This is the hour of thunder, the moment for Iran to seize its freedom and for Israel to repay an ancient debt forged by Cyrus the Great 2,500 years ago. The streets pulse with defiance across cities and villages, from Tehran to Tabriz. “The time has come for the Iranian people to unite around your flag and its historic legacy,” Netanyahu thundered, echoing the cry of “Woman, Life, Freedom – Zan, Zendegi, Azadi.” This is not Israel against Iran; this is Israel and Iran’s true sons and daughters against a common enemy—the murderous Islamic Republic that has oppressed both nations. The Iranian people are not begging for scraps; they are ready to tear down the ayatollahs’ empire and reclaim their nation.
But now, the ground shakes with the fury of a people awakening. The Iranian masses are rising, their rage a wildfire, fueled by years of suffering and ignited by a blazing truth: Israel, led by the indomitable Benjamin Netanyahu, has become their liberator, striking the regime’s heart with unrelenting force. This is no time for whispers or hesitation—this is the hour of thunder, the moment for Iran to seize its freedom and for Israel to repay an ancient debt forged by Cyrus the Great 2,500 years ago.
Image created using ChatGPT.
The Islamic Republic is a cancer, devouring Iran’s spirit and spreading its poison across the Middle East. It has turned a once-vibrant civilization into a prison, where women are beaten for showing their hair, where youth are tortured for daring to dream, and where entire communities are starved to fund the regime’s proxy wars.
The ayatollahs, cloaked in false piety, have looted Iran’s wealth to build missiles and militias, leaving millions in poverty while their Revolutionary Guards crush skulls and break spirits. This is not governance—it is slavery. The regime’s nuclear ambitions, a dagger aimed at the world, have only tightened the noose around Iran’s neck, chaining its people to a future of isolation and fear.
But the chains are breaking. Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, a relentless storm of precision strikes, has smashed the regime’s nuclear facilities, obliterated its military command, and gutted its ballistic missile arsenal. Over 200 targets— command centers, enrichment sites, fuel depots—lie in ruins, their ashes a testament to Israel’s resolve.
Netanyahu, a warrior-king in the mold of ancient heroes, has not merely attacked; he has unleashed a reckoning. “We will hit every site, every target of the ayatollah regime,” he declared, his words a clarion call to a people yearning for liberation. The regime’s leaders, from Khamenei to his bloodthirsty generals, are not just shaken; they are packing their bags, their grip on power crumbling as Israel’s jets roar over Tehran.
This is no coincidence but destiny. Over 2,500 years ago, Cyrus the Great, Persia’s enlightened ruler, freed the Jews from Babylonian captivity, restoring their dignity and homeland. Now, Benjamin Netanyahu repays that ancient debt, not with words but fire and steel.
Israel’s strikes are not just military—they are a beacon, a call to arms for every Iranian who has suffered under the regime’s boot. “The time has come for the Iranian people to unite around your flag and its historic legacy,” Netanyahu thundered, echoing the cry of “Woman, Life, Freedom – Zan, Zendegi, Azadi.” This is not Israel against Iran; this is Israel and Iran’s true sons and daughters against a common enemy—the murderous Islamic Republic that has oppressed both nations.
Iranian people hear this call. The streets pulse with defiance across cities and villages, from Tehran to Tabriz. Social media burns with voices proclaiming what the regime fears most: “The vast majority of us Iranians, 90% or more, support Israel,” one post declares, capturing the sentiment of millions. The 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising showed the world Iran’s courage, as women burned their hijabs and men faced bullets for liberty.
Now, with the regime’s defenses shattered and its commanders dead, the moment is ripe. This is not a protest—it is a revolution. The Iranian people are not begging for scraps; they are ready to tear down the ayatollahs’ empire and reclaim their nation.
The regime’s retaliation—missiles raining on Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa—only exposes its desperation. These are the death throes of a beast cornered, lashing out as its power collapses. Over 100 missiles and drones, launched in their so-called “True Promise 3,” have killed innocents, including children, in Israel.
But Israel stands unbroken, intercepting threats with iron resolve, its people united, its military unmatched. The regime’s boasts of “strategic targets” are hollow; their strikes are reckless, their defenses porous. Netanyahu’s warning—“More is on the way”—is no idle threat. Israel’s campaign will not stop until the ayatollahs’ regime is ash, its nuclear dreams buried, and its terror machine dismantled.
This war is Iran’s chance, its only chance, to rise. The regime’s weakness is laid bare: its commanders dead, its nuclear sites in ruins, its economy crippled. The Iranian people must seize this moment, flooding the streets in millions, tearing down the symbols of oppression, and driving the mullahs from power. The opposition, though fragmented, pulses with potential. Exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi, heir to Iran’s proud monarchy, is the only chance for a free Iran. Israel’s strikes have cleared the path; now the Iranian people must charge through it, armed with courage and the dream of a nation reborn.
Israel’s fight is Iran’s fight. Netanyahu’s vision is not just the destruction of a nuclear threat but the liberation of a people. The ayatollahs have brought Iran to its knees, but Israel has given it a sword. “Your light will defeat the darkness,” Netanyahu told Iranians, and they are answering. The regime’s days are numbered, its lies unraveling, its terror crumbling. This is the hour of reckoning, when Iran’s ancient glory will rise again, hand in hand with Israel, as brothers in freedom. The thunder of rebellion rolls; the Islamic Republic will fall.