“We're going through a tough time here in Tehran but trying to keep hope. I hope we get to meet you guys. Love you All.”
This was just one of thousands of comments we recently received from Iranians.
As an organization operating in the pro-Israel space, the war with Iran, while depriving us of sleep, created a space and time for deep reflection and thought. Suddenly we were immersed in a moment unlike any other, with serious death and destruction at home, and rampant confusion on the world stage. With the power to reach tens of millions online, we take the responsibility of sending the proper message very seriously, especially now.
When this war started the message from the Israeli government was clear: This is not a war with the Iranian people. There may be a ceasefire in place, but this war was, and may well be again, against the weapons and plans of a Jihadi regime that is hell bent on the annihilation of the Jewish state and its 10 million citizens; Jews, Muslims, Christians, and others. This is, or was, a war with a regime that’s only enduring success has been in suppressing its own people and driving their wellbeing into the ground. It’s quite possible the attacks of the past twelve days gave those people the first real opportunity to stand up for themselves in a long time.
Bearing that in mind, we decided to head to the site in the center of Tel Aviv where a missile landed and film a video with a very simple prompt: One message from the people of Israel to the people of Iran. With the stark and very painful reminder of the cost of this war behind us, the sentiments we heard were astounding.
A call for peace and support for Iranians
No matter how much the world tries to paint Israel as a barbaric, war-loving country, it isn’t. Israel at its core is a democracy with freedom of religion, speech, and press. What shocked us wasn’t the countless messages of love to the Iranian people, it was the responses online. Within 48 hours the video had over 5 million views, and messages started pouring in from Iranians.
“We love you.”
“We hear you loud and clear.”
One Persian account reposted the video, and got a million views with the caption “We Iranians hear you, people of Israel.”
Even as the regime has been brutally cracking down for years, or maybe because it has, Iranians have become one of the fastest liberalizing people in the Middle East. The great majority of Iranians are people that want the same kind of life that we are so fortunate to have in Tel Aviv.
Every day we walk free, breathe free, and express ourselves freely, all while freely surfing both the Mediterranean waves, and the world wide web, freely. Life is good in Tel Aviv, no, it’s amazing! And that’s what the people of Tehran want as well. Plain and simple. Freedom.
America may not get directly involved in the future of Iran.
Israel may also not get directly involved.
But this is a world where everyday people can get involved, and just might be able to make a difference.
The 1978 Islamic revolution that brought Ayatollah Khamein and his Jihadi clerics to power, while bringing the Iranian people to their knees, was fueled by messages and speeches that were recorded on cassette tapes and then smuggled into Iran and then copied and disseminated in the millions.
That’s impressive, but the truth is, today we can easily trump those numbers, and surpass that impact.
In just ten days we Israelis have sent multiple videos to the people of Iran. These messages of peace, hope, and empowerment have already been viewed by millions, and the positive embrace and right-back-at-ya virtual hugs from the proud people of Persia have been flowing in.
“We Iranians love our brothers and sisters in Israel. We will be free with your help!”
“I'm an Iranian and I stand with the people of Israel and wish for peace and hope for a better future free from the regime of the mullahs”
When we launched Let’s Do Something in memory of our friend David Newman who was killed at Nova, our aim was to help the people of Israel. We have an ancient tradition that says, “One mitzvah, one good deed, has a way of leading to another.” Who knows, maybe our deeds for Israel, will contribute not just to a better future for the Jewish people, but to a new and brighter future for the people of Persia as well.
Baruch “Bucky” Apisdorf is the founder and CEO of Let’s Do Something, a grassroots nonprofit launched after October 7th to support Israel through defense innovation, trauma healing, and bold Jewish advocacy.