WAR FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE

WAR FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE

Setting the Stage Former British Armed Forces Commander Speaks About the IDF Following a lengthy period during which Hamas bombarded southern Israel unopposed, Israel finally attacked Gaza in an attempt to cripple Hamas s fighting capabilities. The ensuing conflict in December 2008 and January 2009 led to a high casualty count on the Palestinian side. Even before the war ended, the U.N. Human Rights Council, a body thought biased against Israel, met at the behest of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in a special session to condemn the Israeli assault and to call for a mandate to carry out a fact-finding mission designed to investigate the conflict. The Goldstone report, written by this mission, said little about Hamas but much about Israeli war crimes. Many voices stood out against the report and its methodology. One of the most emphatic was that of a senior British soldier, Col. Richard Kemp MBE, a former commander of British forces in Afghanistan and a veteran of action in the 1990-91 Kuwait war and elsewhere. On October 16, 2009, he appeared before an emergency session of the Human Rights Council. The complete transcript of his address appears below. *** Thank you, Mr. President. The IDF did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare. I am the former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan. I served with NATO and the United Nations; commanded troops in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Macedonia; and participated in the Gulf War. I spent considerable time in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, and worked on international terrorism for the UK Government s Joint Intelligence Committee. population. Mr. President, based on my knowledge and experience, I can say this: During Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defence Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare. Israel did so while facing an enemy that deliberately positioned its military capability behind the human shield of the civilian Hamas, like Hizballah, are expert at driving the media agenda. Both will always have people ready to give interviews condemning Israeli forces for war crimes. They are adept at staging and distorting incidents. 2 The Jewish Perspective on War

The IDF faces a challenge that we British do not have to face to the same extent. It is the automatic, Pavlovian presumption by many in the international media, and international human rights groups, that the IDF are in the wrong, that they are abusing human rights. The truth is that the IDF took extraordinary measures to give Gaza civilians notice of targeted areas, dropping over 2 million leaflets, and making over 100,000 phone calls. Many missions that could have taken out Hamas military capability were aborted to prevent civilian casualties. During the conflict, the IDF allowed huge amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza. To deliver aid virtually into your enemy s hands is, to the military tactician, normally quite unthinkable. But the IDF took on those risks. We can forgive you for killing our sons. But we will never forgive you for making us kill yours. - Golda Meir, to Anwar Saddat just before the peace talks. Golda Meir was an Israeli (Russian-born) politician (1898-1978). Despite all of this, of course innocent civilians were killed. War is chaos and full of mistakes. There have been mistakes by the British, American and other forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq, many of which can be put down to human error. But mistakes are not war crimes. More than anything, the civilian casualties were a consequence of Hamas way of fighting. Hamas deliberately tried to sacrifice their own civilians. Mr. President, Israel had no choice apart from defending its people, to stop Hamas from attacking them with rockets. And I say this again: the IDF did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare. Thank you, Mr. President.? Questions to Consider Is Israel judged fairly by the international community? What precautions should a country be required to take in order to avoid causalities of war? How should war crimes be defined? 3 The Jewish Perspective on War

ENGAGING THE TEXT The Jewish View on Declaring War משנה מסכת סוטה פרק ח משנה ז במה דברים אמורים? במלחמת הרשות. אבל במלחמת מצוה - הכל יוצאין, אפילו (יואל ב ) חתן מחדרו וכלה מחופתה. אמר רבי יהודה: במה דברים אמורים? במלחמת מצוה. אבל במלחמת חובה - הכל יוצאין, אפילו חתן מחדרו וכלה מחופתה. Mishnah Sotah 8:7 When is it that certain people are exempt from battle? That is only regard to discretionary wars. But in wars of mitzvah related to the conquering and protection of Israel, all go out, even a bridegroom from his chamber and a bride from her chuppah. FIGHTING THE WAR AND THE PEACE: Battlefield Ethics, Peace Talks, Treaties, and Pacifism in the Jewish Tradition by Rabbi Michael J. Broyde So too, Jewish law regarding wars by the Jewish government can be divided into three (different) categories: 1) Defending the people of Israel from attack by an aggressive neighbor. This is an obligatory war. 2) Fighting offensive wars against belligerent neighbors 3) The protecting of individuals through the use of the laws of pursuer and self defense from aggressive neighbors. This is not a war according to the Jewish tradition. 4 The Jewish Perspective on War

ENGAGING THE TEXT Seeking Peace Before War י דברים פרק כ כי תקרב אל עיר להלחם עליה וקראת אליה לשלום. יא והיה אם שלום תענך ופתחה לך והיה כל העם הנמצא בה יהיו לך למס ועבדוך. יב ואם לא תשלים עמך ועשתה עמך מלחמה וצרת עליה. Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 20 10 When you draw near to a city to wage war against it, you shall call out to it for peace. 11 It shall be that if it responds to you in peace and opens for you, then the entire people within it shall be as a tribute for you and that shall serve you. 12 But if it does not make peace with you, and makes war with you, you shall besiege them. ויקרא רבה (וילנא) פרשה ט ד ה ט אר ש בן אמר ר יוסי הגלילי גדול שלום שאפי בשעת מלחמה אין פותחין אלא בשלום הה ד (דברים כ) כי תקרב אל עיר וגו Vayikra Rabbah, Tzav #9 Rabbi Jesse the Galilean states: How meritorious is peace? Even in a time of war Jewish law requies that one initiate discussions of peace. רמב ם הלכות מלכים פרק ו הלכה א אין עושין מלחמה עם אדם בעולם עד שקוראין לו שלום אחד מלחמת הרשות ואחד מלחמת מצוה, שנאמר כי תקרב אל עיר להלחם עליה וקראת אליה לשלום, אם השלימו וקבלו שבע מצות שנצטוו בני נח עליהן אין הורגין מהן נשמה והרי הן למס, שנאמר יהיו לך למס ועבדוך, קבלו עליהן המס ולא קבלו העבדות או שקבלו העבדות ולא קבלו המס, אין שומעין להם עד שיקבלו שניהם, והעבדות שיקבלו הוא שיהיו נבזים ושפלים למטה ולא ירימו ראש בישראל אלא יהיו כבושים תחת ידם, ולא יתמנו 5 The Jewish Perspective on War

על ישראל לשום דבר שבעולם, והמס שיקבלו שיהיו מוכנים לעבודת המלך בגופם וממונם, כגון בנין החומות, וחוזק המצודות, ובנין ארמון המלך וכיוצא בו, שנאמר וזה דבר המס אשר העלה המלך שלמה לבנות את בית ה ואת ביתו ואת המלוא ואת חומת ירושלים ואת כל ערי המסכנות אשר היו לשלמה, כל העם הנותר מן האמורי ויעלם שלמה למס עובד עד היום הזה ומבני ישראל לא נתן שלמה עבד כי הם אנשי המלחמה ועבדיו ושריו ושלישיו ושרי רכבו ופרשיו. Rambam: The Laws of Kings, 6:1 War should not be declared until peace is pursued, as it says (Devarim 20:10), When you draw near to a city to wage war against it, you shall call out to it for peace. If they agree to accept basic laws of ethics and morality no one should be harmed השגות הרמב ן לספר המצוות שכחת העשין מצוה חמישית שנצטוינו כשנצור על עיר להניח אחת מן הרוחות בלי מצור שאם ירצו לברוח יהיה להם דרך לנוס משם כי בזה נלמוד להתנהג בחמלה אפילו עם אויבינו בעת המלחמה ובו עוד תקון שנפתח להם פתח שיברחו ולא יתחזקו לקראתינו שנ (מטות לא) ויצבאו על מדין כאשר צוה ה את משה ודרשו בספרי הקיפוה משלש רוחותיה ר נתן אומר תן להם רוח רביעית שיברחו. ואין זו מצות שעה במדין אבל היא מצוה לדורות בכל מלחמת הרשות. וכן כתב הרב בחבורו הגדול בהלכות מלכים ומלחמותיהם (פ ו ה ז). Ramban: List of Commandments When a city is attacked a road should be left cleared so that if the enemies want to flee in order to avoid war they should be given that opportunity. From this we learn that even amidst a battle there is a need for compassion? Questions to Consider What is the role of the value of peace in times of war? Once war has been declared, is there still a way to be compassionate? How? 6 The Jewish Perspective on War