Mass Protests Shake Istanbul and Tel Aviv, Demanding the Ouster of Erdogan and Netanyahu / Al-Houthi: We Will Not Stand Idly by in the Face of Attacks on Lebanon “You Are Not Alone”

 March 24, 2025

The political editor wrote

Despite the ongoing brutal war on Gaza, which continues to claim the lives of dozens of martyrs and injure many more, and despite relentless U.S. airstrikes on Yemeni provinces, devastating infrastructure and killing civilians, the spotlight shifted to the massive protests erupting in Istanbul and Tel Aviv. Tens of thousands took to the streets, demanding the removal of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul and Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.
In Turkey, the political landscape saw a dramatic shift. Until recently, Ankara had been preoccupied with its role in Syria, touting its interventions as a victory for neo-Ottoman ambitions. Now, however, those ambitions face an existential test at home. The arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s mayor and a leading presidential contender, ignited an open confrontation between the ruling regime and the opposition, led by the Republican People’s Party. The struggle has now centered on the nation’s identity, between an Ottomanist vision, which sees groups like Jabhat al-Nusra as tools for regional expansion, and a nationalist project focused on internal governance, national unity, and economic stability. Notably, both the ruling party and its opposition remain committed to Turkey’s Western alliances. The deeper division appears to be less about regional policies and more about the socio-political identity of the state, though the Ottomanist approach has fueled foreign interventions that failed to deliver the promised economic benefits to Turkish corporations, whether in Libya or Syria.
Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, mass protests swelled to unprecedented numbers, triggered by opposition to the dismissal of the Shin Bet chief and the government’s legal adviser. Yet, much like in Turkey, the root of the crisis revolved around the state’s identity rather than regional policies. The power struggle pits radical settler factions, who seek full dominance, against those advocating a balance of power between the government and judiciary, which reassures investors and citizens with diverse social identities. Regional concerns only surface when these internal conflicts threaten Israeli captives, as the ruling regime prioritises prolonging the war on Gaza, even at the risk of hostages’ lives, to maintain its own unity and grip on power.
In the region Yemen remains a key battleground in support of Gaza. Yemeni missiles once again forced settlers into bomb shelters yesterday, marking another escalation. In a new statement, Ansar Allah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addressed the situation in Lebanon, stating:
“We have closely followed the Zionist attacks on various areas in Lebanon – attacks that are unjustified. We reaffirm our principled and unwavering support for our brothers in Hezbollah and the Lebanese people in any major escalation or full-scale Zionist aggression. We will not remain idle in the face of these attacks, and we say to our brothers in Hezbollah and Lebanon: You are not alone. We stand with you. If circumstances demand our intervention alongside Hezbollah and the Lebanese people, we are fully prepared.”
In Lebanon, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri firmly rejected U.S.-backed calls for negotiations with the occupying entity, stating:
“Israel seeks to lure us into political negotiations that would ultimately lead to normalisation. We will not go down that path. We already have an agreement that enjoys international and Arab support, as well as United Nations endorsement. We are implementing it to the letter, while Israel obstructs it and attempts to circumvent it.”
Berri stressed that Hezbollah is fully committed to the agreement, having withdrawn south of the Litani River and refrained from firing a single shot for four months, despite Israel’s repeated violations, which have escalated from attacks on southern villages to strikes reaching the Bekaa Valley and Lebanon’s border with Syria. Hezbollah, he emphasised, continues to exercise restraint, standing behind the Lebanese state in enforcing the agreement to stabilise the ceasefire.
Berri also dismissed a proposal suggesting that Lebanon send a negotiation team comprised of military and diplomatic figures to discuss: the release of Lebanese prisoners, the withdrawal of Israel from occupied positions, and the demarcation of the Lebanese-Israeli border based on the 1949 Armistice Agreement, including disputed areas along the Blue Line.
He firmly rejected the proposal, stating:
“This suggestion is not up for discussion. Accepting it would mean dismantling the ceasefire agreement, which must be implemented under UNIFIL’s oversight and the Five-Nation Committee’s supervision.”