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Notes -
In a word, yes. The Iranian revolutionary program is a descendant of the Muslim Brotherhood ideology of Sayyid Qutb (though this is embarassing for them to admit, as he was a Sunni and spawned other groups that have been or are enemies of Iran), which was itself a repackaging of early 20th century leftist ideas in an anticolonial context where poor Muslims are the oppressed class and Western powers are the oppressors. Israel, being for most intents and purposes a Western settler-colonialist state founded by Europeans, is a natural enemy for people with such beliefs. As you pointed out, the timing of the revolution in Iran allowed the new regime to step in as the champions of the Palestinian cause at the precise moment the Arab governments were giving up the struggle and signing peace accords, and the ability to channel the free-floating anger of millions of young Muslim men was a handy thing for them until Hamas finally broke their leash and set off the geopolitical chain reaction we are still living through.
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