Should You Kill, Break Your Creed, or Start A War To Save A Life

Syrian gas attack reported by French newspaper Le Monde, August 22, 2013

Israelis are yacking and quacking about the killing all around us. In Syria the killing is beyond belief, yet there is very little action and even less criticism of other countries' silence. The Americans (in the form of president Obama) are criticized for not making good on their promise to act. Some countries are calling for support of rebels in the form of "No Fly Zone". This is what tipped the balance in Libya. Yet no real action from the Americans or the UN. In Israel the leadership is calling for careful and distant treatment of war activities in neighboring countries. Israel is still fearful of long term commitment like the eighteen years spent in Lebanon. Then the second Lebanon war which started out on basis of one cross border incursion. At this point in time, the Israeli street, especially here in Tel Aviv, does not have the appetite for another war.

Eventually morality discussion turns into Israel's role in the slaughter around our borders. When a few thousands were killed in Syria, and there were tens of thousands of refugees going to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, Israel was able to ignore the war there. But today, there are a hundred thousand estimated killed and two million refugees. While the US, France, Russia and China can ignore and claim to be neutral. They can also claim to be distant countries. They can also claim to be neutral in other atrocities, Bosnia, Iraq, even African genocides. But Israel has believed in higher moral standards. Israel has blamed European countries and most countries involved in World War II for not helping the Jews of Europe at their darkest times. Israel has criticized just as many countries over the last sixty five years for turning a blind eye to atrocities all around the globe. The state has also taken a front seat in helping refugees who ended up at it's borders. Even refugees from as far lands as Cambodia during their darkest days.

But it seems like Israel has become as bureaucratic and forgetful of it's history as other countries. For as many atrocities as we have seen recently, every country has had it's own share of immoral and disgusting killings. Yet every country has its own reasons and justifications not to take in refugees, not to stop killings, and eventually even turn a blind eye and even vote against UN intervention. Israelis hear about the danger of crossing the Syrian border, since Israel and Syria have been so diligent in keeping the cease fire. Israeli military leaders are claiming how Bashar al-Assad as a leader has been “good” to Israel. Israeli political thinkers are warning against giving other organizations such as Hezbollah an excuse to attack from Lebanon if Israel enters Syria on the rebel side. Historians and military commentators (mostly retired generals) are warning against setting a precedence of Israel intervention in other country's civil wars. If we enter Syria, will we enter Egypt when the tide turns against the military? Will this give other countries in the region to enter situations they don't like? Will Turkey enter Iraq? or even Syria? Will Israel eventually fight Turkey and bring in a bigger military situation we are not expecting? In war there are no guarantees. Anything can happen. Yet, some still say, these are all excuses to see a hundred thousand people killed, mostly civilians. Something the Jews who came from Europe really don't like to see, or even hear about...

To be continued...