Quote Originally Posted by Rex Brynen View Post
Legitimacy in whose eyes? Certainly among hard-core ideologues in the regime, but it really doesn't resonate much among many ordinary Iranians.

On the contrary, it is common to hear complaints in Tehran about all the money "wasted" on Hizbullah and Hamas. I was frequently asked about Israeli politics by curious students when I was there. In a half dozen or so public lectures at various universities and think-tanks, I received only one anti-Semitic question—to which several members of the audience either complained, or walked out in protest at the question. On the other hand, when I criticized Ahmedinejad's Holocaust denial, I was applauded.

A 2002 Gallup survey showed that only 10% of Iranian TV viewers "frequently" watch news on the Arab-Israeli conflict, compared to 60-75% in most of the Arab world, and 15-20% in Turkey and Pakistan.

Regionally, yes: Iran's anti-israeli stance resonates well among the Arab public. Among the Iranian public, however, the effect seems strikingly limited.
Yes, sorry I meant regime ideology. Funnily enough most Yemenis I spoke to detest the Palestinians because they think they get a good deal by being a "diaspora" (i.e., the Arab states "throw money at them" and so does the international community, whatever that is).