Untangling Popular Anti-Israel Arguments: Critical Thinking
about the Israel-Hamas War
Note to readers: See previous APOLOGIA post for Chapter 9. (Also, Table of Contents with links is listed below. Or download pdf of the whole book here.)
Note to critics: Please read the whole of my little book (including notes) before offering criticism. Thanks.
Chapter 10: Israel is wrong to cause Gaza to suffer?
Objection: Many people, including children, are suffering in Gaza due to Israel’s military response to Gaza’s October 7 attack—this is wrong.
Reply: Yes, the people of Gaza are suffering and the suffering of the Gazan people, especially children, is terrible—a horror—to be sure, and it is wrong. Nothing that I have written above is intended to minimize or diminish these truths. My hope and prayer is that humanitarian aid will get through to Gazans and will not be re-routed by Hamas to fuel its war effort against Israel. And my hope and prayer is that Israel will show wisdom and restraint in its retaliation. Nevertheless (as I argued in my reply to the previous objection), the suffering in Gaza is Gaza’s fault.
We should never forget that the October 7 attack on Israel was the responsibility of Gaza (led by Hamas). In Gaza’s attack on Israel, 1200+ innocent Israelis—young and old, individuals and families—were tortured, raped, burned, beheaded, slaughtered. And many more were injured. And about 240 hostages were taken. This brutal and murderous invasion of Israel by Gaza was the spark for Israel’s retaliation—a retaliation Gaza foreknew Israel was duty-bound to carry out to protect its own innocents (as I argued in my reply to the previous objection). Nor should we forget that Israel has for years attempted to let Gaza be an independent neighbouring and peaceful state, yet Gaza continually attempts to destroy Israel.1
It seems to me, then, that Israel does not lack moral warrant in its desire to protect itself from Gaza. And I think Israel is just in responding to Gaza with force. Israel’s military response is (as I have previously pointed out over and over again) a matter of self-defence.2
But, I quickly add, if Israel somehow ends up in its just defence doing more evil and/or worse evil than Gaza has done to Israel, then Israel may lose its moral high ground. In its just anger and just defence, Israel should resist committing sin. In other words, Israel needs wisdom to maintain the righteousness of its cause.
I am glad that Israel targets Hamas instead of innocent Gazan civilians, and I am glad that Israel warns Gazan civilians (via leaflets, phone calls, and “knocking”) prior to Israeli military strikes.3 British Forces Colonel Richard Kemp goes so far as to describe Israel as having “the world’s most moral army.”4 How much better can Israel do morally while maintaining its protection of its own citizens? I do not know. But I do know that Israel is not intending the destruction of innocent Gazans, and I do know that Gaza (led by Hamas) has forced Israel to be caught morally between a rock and a hard place. It was evil for Gaza to do this to Israel.
Again: Gaza, especially Hamas, is the moral culprit here. As Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy points out, “For Hamas, civilian deaths are not a tragedy, they are a strategy.”5 This means that if any state should repent at the present moment, it’s Gaza. How? By laying down its arms; by releasing hostages; by actually caring for its people (instead of using them as shields and instead of rerouting UN aid to Hamas’s war effort); and by respecting the existence of Israel as a Jewish state. And this repentance needs to happen quickly.
Perhaps countries other than Israel could encourage Gaza to repent? If not, Gaza risks being destroyed as past aggressors (such as Nazi Germany and Imperialist Japan) have been destroyed.
This is a Facebook post from a wise lawyer who is a Facebook friend of mine, which was posted only a few hours prior to time of writing and seems most appropriate to add here:
Dear World Leaders: Hamas has had 21 days to secure safety of civilians by helping them make the 4 hour journey to the safe zone; Hamas has had 21 days to negotiate a humanitarian corridor with Egypt; Hamas has instead chosen to use civilians in Gaza as human shields.6
Clearly, Gaza—especially Hamas—needs to repent. World leaders should step up and help it do so.7
NOTES
1. See David Brog, Why Isn’t There a Palestinian State? PragerU, March 27, 2017 (5 minute video).
2. I am neither a pacifist nor a warmonger. But if we are to engage in war, I favour just war. For my thoughts on just war, see this book’s appendix 3.
3. “Knocking” is the Israeli military’s practice of hitting a building’s roof with an unexploding “bomb” to warn residents that the next bomb will explode, to give Gazans (who haven’t heeded previous warnings) time to escape danger.
4. See Richard Kemp, Israel: The World's Most Moral Army, PragerU, December 7, 2015 (5 minute video).
5. Eylon Levy, Israel: ‘If Hamas surrender—the war will end tomorrow’, Sky News, December 28, 2023.
6. Don Hutchinson, Facebook, October 28, 2023.
7. At time of writing the sentence the reader is now reading (February 14, 2024), about 100 hostages remain in Gaza; Hamas continues to use Gazans as human shields; and Hamas continues to thwart and divert humanitarian aid. Again, clearly, Gaza—especially Hamas—needs to repent. World leaders should step up and demand it do so.
Table of Contents (links)
Chapter 1. Israel is engaging in colonial retaliation?
Chapter 2. Israel is a powerful state and thus the oppressor?
Chapter 3. Israel is not a legitimate state?
Chapter 4. Israel occupies Gaza?
Chapter 5. Gaza is like a Jewish ghetto?
Chapter 6. What about Gabor Maté?
Chapter 7. What about Gabor Maté, again?
Chapter 8. Israel targets a hospital?
Chapter 9. Israel’s attack on Gaza is as bad (or worse) as Gaza’s attack on Israel?
Chapter 10. Israel is wrong to cause Gaza to suffer?
Chapter 11. Israel is guilty of genocide?
Chapter 12. Israel’s response to Hamas is not proportional?
Chapter 13. Israel should agree to a permanent ceasefire?
Chapter 14. Israel should embrace a two-state solution?
Chapter 15. Conclusion and prayer
Appendix 1: Criticizing Islam is Islamophobic? (Part 1 of 2)
Appendix 2: Criticizing Islam is Islamophobic? (Part 2 of 2)
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