In a normal world, I’d probably be writing about the Olympics today. I might mention the 1972 Munich games and the massacre. I might mention the Israeli delegation and Jewish athletes from around the world and their accomplishments. I might have had the chance to write these words, but those aren’t the words we need today.
The world we live in today is very different than the world we hoped for over the years. Today is day 300 of the war that began on October 7th. This week, we watched in horror as 12 Israeli children were murdered by Hezbollah for playing soccer. 12 children went to do what they should be able to do, enjoy a Saturday evening outside with friends. They went to enjoy life but they’ll never go home. Four of the victims were siblings, and words cannot even begin to express the feelings.
Supporters (enablers) of terror, will tell you Hezbollah hadn’t targeted these kids who were playing soccer. They are likely correct, but what’s also correct is that when you send rockets, they’re bound to hit something and cause devastation. Terrorist groups have been firing rockets at Israel for decades and thankfully Israel has gotten really good at intercepting them and protecting its population. Were it not for the immense amount of time and money Israel’s put into defense, the story would be so different.
Thousands upon thousands of rockets, bombs, and missiles have been fired and it’s only because Israel is defending its citizens that they’ve been able to minimize the toll these weapons take on our people. Undoubtedly, there are those out there who will try to draw a comparison between the death tolls in Israel and Gaza. They’ll assert that Israel is killing children and other innocent people in Gaza on a daily basis. The unfortunate reality is that yes, innocent civilians are dying in Gaza every day. This is awful and something that’s not at all the goal of the Israel Defense Force (IDF), the Israelis and the Jewish People. The aim of the IDF is to eliminate Hamas and bring back our hostages. We cannot help that terrorist’s weapons often fall short and hit their own people. We cannot help that they continue to act as cowards and fire from amongst civilians and children. Every child that dies is a tragedy. Full stop. We must mourn all victims. But to equate the two is to totally reject reality and what’s been happening since the war began.
The 12 children who died last Saturday did nothing wrong. They were guilty of being citizens of a Jewish State. They were guilty of being in a land that others refuse to accept has legitimacy. May their memories be for a blessing to their families and their friends and to all who were ever blessed to have known them. May their deaths not be in vain and may their families and loved ones know peace and security someday soon.
This week did not just see the deaths of these beautiful children. It also saw the deaths of two terrorists who were hellbent on murdering Israelis and destroying the State of Israel. The world will cry out that Israel is a monster for killing the leaders of the terrorists. This week, we watched as Iran, Russia and China all jumped to condemn Israel. I think we can all agree those are not three countries we should look to for morality or a bar by which to measure ourselves. The leader of the military of Hezbollah had ordered the rockets that murdered those 12 children. Why should he be protected from rockets himself? The leader of Hamas rejoiced on October 7th as our children were slaughtered, our women were raped, our citizens kidnapped… He oversaw a terrorist group with more blood on its hands than can ever be enumerated. That’s the reality. With all that said, it’s essential we recognize that we as Jews don’t celebrate the downfall of our enemies. We rejoice at the prospect that our world might be a bit safer in the long run because they’re gone but we don’t celebrate their deaths.
I wish that was the whole week, but it wasn’t. As much joy as I, we, take from the State and Land of Israel there are also painful realities we need to live with in our world. The IDF is one of the world’s most moral armies. They hold themselves to such a high standard that at times they get in the way of waging war in the most effective of ways. We must always remember it’s the morality of our army that makes our cause just and our society incredible. We also need to recognize that we’re not immune from crimes or from mistakes. Power is a corrupting force, and anger and a thirst for vengeance need to be controlled at all times.
IDF soldiers at a military base prison have been accused of abusing a Palestinian prisoner. This fact alone should be enough to cause us immense pain and hurt. This can never be tolerated and must be investigated. When the military police showed up, things got out of control. In time, protestors, including ministers and members of the Knesset, showed up and broke into the base to prevent the police from investigating and making arrests. Some of the people who broke in came with their personal firearms. Just imagine the catastrophe that could have happened at that moment… The assertion that our Israeli soldiers should be above the law is wrong and morally bankrupt. Our soldiers, on a whole, bring us pride and security but there will always be exceptions. It’s embarrassing and outrageous that our leaders could behave in such a way. The Army will only be strong when it adheres to the values of the State and of the people.
This week was one filled with pain, fear and much more. It’s a week that will have repercussions and we’ll have to wait and see just how deep they will cut.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Hearshen
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