HOW CAN THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT BE SO UN-JEWISH??
When a leading news story headlines Bibi Netanyahu calmly stating “there is no starvation" in Gaza, one can only scratch one's head in amazement—and horror.
When even conservative columnists observe that despite the very real evil perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 and later, Israel has gone beyond retribution, creating unbelievable suffering for Gaza’s civilians. Particularly abhorrent is hunger as a weapon of war, with more than 100,000 men, women and children facing severe malnutrition leading to outright starvation.
How can Israel have sunk this low, displaying what many consider grievously un-Jewish behavior? In “Wisdom of the Jewish Sages,” a modern reading of Pirke Avot, author Rami M. Shapiro offers a compelling comment by a rabbi: “Do not imagine you can thrive at the expense of others: injustice to the least undermines the health of all.”
There are other statements in the broader Jewish liturgy which come down to the same theme: do no wrong unto others. As Rabbi Hillel said, in one of his most famous teachings, “What is hateful unto you, do not do unto your neighbor. That is the whole Torah…all the rest is commentary.”
The Israeli right has forgotten these lessons, as they opine about the nation not needing to feed the hungry, and the possibility of resettling Gazan territory, including rebuilding settlements.
This faction is led by ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, who obviously want the war to continue with or without U.S. support, despite the ever-growing cost in human lives—and to Israel’s standing in the world.
It was not always like this. I remember that around the time my family and I visited Israel on a Federation mission in the early 1980’s, Israel had opened its heart and homes to Ethiopian refugees fleeing famine and persecution in their country. Many of them, now Israel citizens, have Israel to thank for their lives, and remain loyal to the land and its people.
Those who took in the Ethiopian refugees remain me of the Israelis now marching in city streets, urging a cease fire and the return of hostages—frequently holding photographs of dead Palestinian children. Often harassed by police, these determined citizens remain steadfast in their objection to the nation’s immoral actions, decrying the government’s destruction of lives and humanitarian infrastructure.
And they are not alone, as the world condemns the human cost. One can only hope that Israel has now reached a tipping point: that aid will start to flow more freely, guns will stop, and innocent civilians will be able to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and find better times. Only then will the State of Israel be acting in a way that is truly Jewish.