by Shay Khatiri
Every time there is an Instagram story about Israel, a vast majority of comments are in praise of Netanyahu and Israel.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking to the people of Iran with Farsi subtitles June 27 2018
(photo credit: YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT)
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One of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s greatest foreign policy legacies remains unseen to most Israelis and the world: He has made Israel popular in Iran!
It
all started with Netanyahu’s video campaign on social media, which
coincided with the Islamic Republic’s rapid deterioration of popularity.
In a series of social media videos, Netanyahu directly spoke with the
Iranian people with Farsi subtitles, and the videos went viral on social
media and messaging apps among Iranian users. In these videos,
Netanyahu emphasized his desire to live in peace and cooperation with
the Iranian people. He spoke of Iran’s rich and great history. In one
video, he outlined Iran’s water challenges, and he declared that he will
start sending information to Iranians on social media about how best to
overcome these challenges with minimal means.
However, the most important point that
Netanyahu had was that the regime in Iran is the greatest obstacle to
the progress of the Iranian people by highlighting how successful
Iranians are everywhere else, but not in Iran. This campaign resonated
with many Iranians.
Evidence for this claim is Farsi comments on social media. Iranians use Instagram
more than any other social medium, and that’s where they get most of
their news. Every time there is a story about Israel, a vast majority of
comments are in praise of Netanyahu and Israel. In the comment section
of stories about Israel’s attacking the IRGC bases in Syria,
there are many comments like, “Good, thank you!” or “Okay, but can you
hit the IRGC inside Iran please?” or recommendations for targets inside
Iran, which is usually Khamenei’s residence. When I talk to Iranians
inside Iran, they no longer complain that Israel mistreats Palestinians.
They see an ally in Israel. The enemy of their enemy is a friend.
On
the Palestinians issue, most responses vary from “none of my business”
to “Israel is in the right.” This is also evident in one of the most
popular chants in every protest in Iran: No to Gaza, no to Lebanon, my
life [only] for Iran. They are just tired of starving for the benefit of
Hamas and Hezbollah.
For
four decades, the United States has failed to meaningfully engage with
the Iranian people to turn them against the regime. Just 10 years ago,
it was inconceivable to imagine an Israeli prime minister, especially a
Likud one, would play this role. But Netanyahu cracked the code.
Unfortunately,
Netanyahu’s video campaign has paused for now, perhaps because of the
unresolved elections in Israel. Resumption would help, but the campaign
has already planted the seeds.
During the recent protests, some on social media complained that
every time that there has been a protest, the United States has stood
idle; it is clear that the United States is not a reliable ally against
the regime, but Israel is.
For
all of my life, I was a strong supporter of Israel. That made me an
Iranian black sheep. Nowadays, I am still a black sheep because I am not
a supporter of Netanyahu.
Shay Khatiri is a graduate student of strategic studies at Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies. He grew up in Iran and is currently seeking political asylum in the United States. He resides in Washington, DC. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @shaykhatiri.
Source: https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Netanyahus-social-media-campaign-has-revived-Israels-image-in-Iran-610328
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