Weekly On-line Rabbi's D'var-Torah
September 12, 2024
9 Elul 5784
Parashat Ki Teitzei
Once again, the ethics and values of the IDF are in the headlines. The UN is condemning one of Israel’s recent airstrikes which killed six UNRWA workers. Israel has responded by saying that at least three of them were also Hamas operatives.
In addition, South Africa asked the International Criminal Court to postpone the deadline for South Africa to submit evidence of its claim that Israel is committing genocide. South Africa won’t specifically say why they want the delay, but it seems as though they haven’t been able to find evidence of a genocide over the nine months since they first filed the case.
In truth, the ethics of war have been part of the Jewish tradition since the very beginning. This week’s Torah portion begins with the words, “When you go out to war against your enemies....” (see Deuteronomy 21:10). The Torah then proceeds to provide rules for how to behave during and after a war. For example, there are limitations on how you can treat a captive. In addition, because the Ark of the Covenant went out into battle with Israelites (see Numbers 10:35), soldiers had to avoid any untoward behavior in the camp.
After the destruction of the Temple in 70CE, it was a long time before the rules and ethics of war were relevant to typical Jewish people. Sure, Jews served in the military forces of the countries in which they lived. For example, Major General Maurice Rose was a career officer in the US Army and he was killed in Germany toward the end of World War II. Admiral Hyman Rickover (whose name at birth was Chayim) transformed the US Navy into a nuclear propelled fleet. However, it was not until the establishment of the State of Israel and the IDF, that these rules and ethics came back life.
Over the years, the IDF developed “The Spirit of the IDF” to teach Israeli soldiers the values that must guide their conduct in battle.
Despite this commitment ethics in war, Israel has been constantly accused of war crimes and genocide in the press and on college campuses. It is nothing short of a blood libel.
So, I was pleased to read the assessment of General Sir John McColl of the British Army who is also a former deputy supreme allied commander of NATO. He led a team of military leaders from six NATO countries to observe Israel’s military operation in Gaza. He admitted that after reading all the press reports in England, he expected to see major violations of international law. However, once he was there in person, his reaction was far different.
He wrote: “I came away from the trip satisfied that the IDF’s operations and rules of engagement were rigorous compared to the British Army and our western allies. War is terrible, but sometimes necessary. And Israeli soldiers are fighting in conditions of extraordinary complexity and risk. It’s time for the world to have its eyes opened to that.” In addition, he called upon journalists to report more accurately.
No army is perfect, but when the IDF goes out to war against its enemies, it goes with the ethics and values that have been part of our tradition since the days of the Torah.
Shalom,
RAF.
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