Why the War Between Israel and Lebanon and Iran

 Nadene Goldfoot                                              

Habima Square (Hebrew: כיכר הבימה, lit. The Stage's Square, also known as The Orchestra Plaza) is a major public space in the center of Tel Aviv, Israel, which is home to a number of cultural institutions such as the Habima Theatre, the Culture Palace, and the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion for Contemporary Art

I was told by my Syrian reporter hat there were demonstrations going on in the streets of Tel Aviv, so I checked.  Yes, anti-war protests and demonstrations against the Israeli government are currently occurring in Tel Aviv, notably around Habima Square, with significant police presence and recent clashes reported. These protests have included calls for an end to the conflict with Iran and Lebanon, often facing restrictions on crowd size.

Syria:  Jolani, the terrorist who was voted in as President of Syria, is not acceptable to many Syrians.  It's thought he's up to no good.

  Lebanon:  As of April 2026, Israel is engaged in intense, escalating conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, resulting in massive airstrikes, over 3,000 deaths, and widespread displacement. Israel is simultaneously targeting suspected weapon smuggling routes at the Lebanon-Syria border. The war has expanded beyond southern Lebanon to include heavy strikes in Beirut, with Hezbollah retaliating despite ceasefire violations.

What's been going on is this:  

                         Rula Daood: head of Standing Together and speech pathologist by profession. She is a Palestinian citizen of Israel, born and raised in the Galilee village of Kafr Yasif and began her activism in her home city and later became involved in promoting Jewish-Arab partnership in mixed (Jewish-Arab) cities.  I come from a middle-class family that lived in Kafr Yasif. We lived in one of the higher neighborhoods of the village, which was relatively new and didn’t have many houses. I remember Grandma cooking the rabbits that used to roam in the yard. When we found out, we stopped eating meat at her place. Academic achievements were very important to my parents. I left home to work at a young age. At 15, I moved in with my aunts and uncles in Jaffa and worked screening matriculation exam papers. My father was a secretary at the village high school and arranged the job for me. But my dream was to become a film director – I wanted to tell stories. As a child, I would write scripts for myself. I loved fantasy and science fiction and read a lot, mostly in English. When I shared my ambition with my father, he told me: “That won’t put food on the table.” In the end, I chose to study communication disorders. 

                           Alon Lee Green-Alon-Lee Green is the National co-Director and a founder of Standing Together.  Green grew up in Tel Aviv-Yafo. His father was a book seller and his mother a painter. His motivation to enter politics and activism started with the war against Hezbollah in 2006. In his last year of high school, Green worked at the coffee shop chain The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and initiated the establishment of the first workers' council in the restaurant and coffee shop industry in Israel, following violations of the labor laws in the chain.

• Who are they? The coalition includes Jewish-Arab movements such as Standing Together, radical left activists, and seasoned anti-government protestors who have joined due to increasing opposition to the war’s expansion.  Standing Together (Omdim Beyachad/Naqif Ma'an) is the largest Jewish-Arab grassroots movement in Israel, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Tel Aviv. It mobilizes activists to fight for peace, equality, social justice, and an end to the occupation. (This is the give-away for their motives.).  
• The group prominently advocates for a ceasefire, solidarity, and a shared future for both Israelis and Palestinians. The movement is co-directed by Alon-Lee Green and Rula Daood, representing a joint partnership.

• Location: Primarily at Habima Square in Tel Aviv, with additional smaller protests at sites like the US Embassy.
• Context: Protests focus on opposing the ongoing war with Iran and Lebanon, with some, including families of hostages, protesting the current government. (We have all hostages or their bodies returned.)  
• What are they protesting? They are demanding an immediate end to the war with Iran, arguing it brings no security and destroys lives. Protesters also argue that the government is dragging the region into a wider conflict.
• Restrictions: Due to security and missile threats, authorities have implemented strict limits on protest sizes, often restricting them to small, designated numbers (e.g., 150-600 people).
• Tensions: Clashes between police and protestors have occurred, with reports of police declaring some demonstrations illegal and making arrests. 

It is advised to stay updated with local news, as protests can change rapidly.

Resource:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alon-Lee_Green

https://brenebrown.com/podcast/standing-together/#:~:text=On%20this%20episode%20of%20Unlocking,create%20equity%20for%20all%20people.

https://nif.org/stories/human-rights-democracy/documenting-the-journeys-of-women-working-for-a-better-reality/