Shirin Ebadi: Attack on Israel, Hostility towards the West and Hatred for America Are Not the People's Issues

Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and head of the Human Rights Defenders Center, referring to the Islamic Republic's midnight attack on Israel, states that this action, along with hostility towards the West and hatred for America, is "not the people's issue or demand." On Sunday, she posted on her social media accounts that this "warmongering, driven by the will of one person, will lead the people of Iran and the region into new and more critical phases." The Islamic Republic carried out extensive missile and drone attacks on Israel late on Saturday, April 25, claiming these actions were in response to the deaths of several senior commanders and members of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards at the Islamic Republic's consulate in Damascus, Syria. Tehran attributed the airstrike on April 13 against the Islamic Republic's consular building in Damascus, the capital of Syria, to Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in that attack. Shirin Ebadi, referring to the protests of the Iranian people against the policies of the Islamic Republic, added: "The people's war in the streets against the government continues. One day in street protests, another day in confronting the morality patrol, and another day with livelihood and economic crises." According to the Nobel Peace Prize winner, "The Islamic Republic has long begun a real war against the people of Iran; a war that the West has yet to recognize." While criticizing Israel's policies in Gaza and what she called that country's disrespect for human rights, she emphasized that the Iranian government, by supporting Hamas terrorists, also fuels the fire of war in Gaza. Shirin Ebadi stressed that the people of Iran are not warlike, adding that they do not support the ambitions and adventures of the Islamic Republic in the region. She wrote: "In the clamor of warmongers and war hawks, what must be heard is the voice of the people; a people who, despite the pressure of the boots of tyranny, created a vibrant and powerful civil society and brought the voice of 'Women, Life, Freedom' to the ears of the world; a voice that reached the ears of the world but found no buyers among statesmen." This Iranian lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate noted that the Islamic Republic's missile and drone attack on Israel cost the people billions of dollars, emphasizing that this investment should have been spent on the country's health and education systems, but was instead wasted on the ambitions of the Islamic Republic's warmongering. In the conclusion of her note, Shirin Ebadi stated that "the Islamic Republic carried out this attack simultaneously with the resumption of the morality patrol and renewed pressure on women in the streets," asserting that the war and the warmongering policies of the Islamic Republic against its own people and other nations are condemned. The Left Party of Iran: The Islamic Republic's actions are blatant warmongering and against the national interests of the Iranian people. The Central Council of the Left Party of Iran emphasized in a statement that no effort should be spared to "put the nightmare of war behind us." The statement criticized the policies of the Islamic Republic and Israel over the past decades, noting that with every military conflict, the risk of war increases. The Central Council of the Left Party of Iran wrote in part of its statement: "Israel's attack on the consulate in Damascus is considered an attack on Iranian soil under international law and is condemned. However, the Islamic Republic, which hypocritically invokes such norms to claim retaliation, occupied American soil in Tehran in the early years of its existence and, three decades later, sent its 'fire-at-will' thugs to storm several embassies, including that of Saudi Arabia." The statement criticized Israel's military operations in Gaza, which it described as "failed," stating that the Netanyahu government "is likely to seek a way out of the deadlock of the lost war in Gaza by preparing for another war." This party declared that Israel's recent action in Damascus does not in any way permit the Islamic Republic, which is itself in a position of enmity against the Iranian people, to engage in adventurism and warmongering, and does not authorize any war. It emphasized that any military action, whether controlled or at any level of warfare using proxy forces, is blatant warmongering and against the national interests of the Iranian people. The Central Council of the Left Party of Iran called on "all democratic forces committed to restoring peace who firmly oppose any warmongering" to cooperate, stating: "We consider any attempt to push the Islamic Republic into war, whether from a position of encouragement or provocation, to be contrary to the interests and security of Iran." The Iranian Republican Solidarity: The Islamic Republic has put national security and stability at great risk. The political-executive committee of the Iranian Republican Solidarity also stated in its statement: "The Islamic Republic, which has never valued the welfare and livelihood of the people and the preservation of their rights and lives, has advanced its political projects through death-mongering under the guise of a culture of martyrdom, and by changing its security-military approach towards Israel, has put national security and stability at great risk." This political entity pointed out that "there is now concern that Israel's retaliation could lead to a chain of retaliatory operations with an unclear outlook." The statement continued, "The scenario of escalating the conflict from proxy war to limited direct confrontation and then to full-scale war has become likely, which would have devastating consequences for Iran's struggling economy and national security, putting the lives and health of Iranian citizens at serious risk." This political organization condemned the "adventurism and reckless actions and disproportionate reactions by the Islamic Republic and the Israeli government" and called for "sustainable de-escalation in the Middle East and an immediate halt to the war in Gaza as the main cause of unprecedented tension between Iran and Israel." The Iranian Republican Solidarity warned the Islamic Republic to "stop the security crackdown and punishment of those who actively and publicly oppose the Islamic Republic's military and strategic actions against Israel" and emphasized that "Iranian citizens, regardless of the correctness or incorrectness of their opinions in any area, are entitled to express their beliefs without fear or anxiety. The intensification of strictness regarding mandatory hijab is also related to the expansion of the undeclared police state atmosphere to promote the propaganda maneuver of the missile and drone attack on Israel." Mohammad Qaydi: The Islamic Republic's goal was to create deterrence and break the taboo of the possibility of attacking Israel. Hamid Reza Azizi: The main goal of the Islamic Republic was to return the game to the conditions before the attack on the consulate. A look: Analysis by three American experts on the Islamic Republic's attack on Israel. Alireza Nourizadeh: The Islamic Republic would have faced less embarrassment if it had continued psychological warfare instead of attacking Israel. Reza Parchizadeh: Israel will likely attack military or nuclear centers of the Islamic Republic inside Iran. Farzin Nadimi: A wide range of missiles were used for the attack; the IRGC tried to bypass Israel's missile defense system. Norman Roll: The Islamic Republic's attack has changed the regional security dynamics; Israel considers a direct response its right. Reactions to the Islamic Republic's attack on Israel; Prince Reza Pahlavi: This "regime" is an existential threat to both Iran and Israel. Leaders of the G7 condemned the Islamic Republic's "unprecedented" attacks on Israel. The White House praised Israel's "incredible success" and military superiority against the Islamic Republic's attacks. The Iranian government will pay the price for its attack on Israel at the right time. Global condemnation of the Islamic Republic's attacks on Israel; the U.S. emphasized its "ironclad commitment" to Israel's security. Continuation of the Islamic Republic's "illegal" actions; missile attacks abroad, harassment of women domestically.