I don’t like to write about politics, for a number of reasons. Many arguments are nuanced, and nuance is often difficult to communicate in written form, particularly within the confines of a brief blog post. On the few occasions when I feel could comment with clarity, in our deeply polarized society there remains the possibility readers could mistake a causal opinion for a deeply held belief and misjudge me accordingly. The simplest reason is that I rarely think I have anything to say that hasn’t already been said by someone else and said better.
That being said, I don’t see current events in Israel as political. I am not unaware of differing opinions regarding Palestinian autonomy, control of the Temple Mount, Israeli settlements, the viability of a two-state solution, or the myriad other issues that have been debated for the 75 years since Israel became a nation, and I am confident these topics will be debated ad nauseum in the years ahead. I just do not think any of them matter right now.
Right now, the world needs to confront the reality of evil. Unjustifiable, indefensible, horrific, evil. There is nothing, nothing, the nation of Israel has ever done or could ever do to justify the actions taken by Hamas against innocent Israeli civilians.
What is hard for me to comprehend, and what motivates this post, is that the words of the preceding paragraph would be questioned by anyone. Yet the Democratic Socialists of America praised Hamas’ attack, thousands of students on elite university campuses have been marching against Israel, and Anti-Israel propaganda is being repeated by members of the US House of Representatives. How can this be?
The answer to the question can be found in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus educated his audience about the heart attitudes that open the door for murderous acts. “You have been taught… You shall not murder… but whoever calls his brother worthless shall be guilty before the court, and anyone who says to his brother, “You fool!” (a term implying a godless reprobate) will be in danger of hell.” (Paraphrased) His point was clear- the road that leads to murder begins with someone devaluing the dignity and humanity of another person or people.
The actions of Hamas, like those of the Nazis in the holocaust, are the deeds of a people of depraved mind who deny the essential value of every human life. If we cannot agree on that, we have lost our way as a nation, and I fear for a future, regardless of which political party is in control.
Bart