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The Morality of Killing Hassan Nasrallah

(Substack) Jake Wallis Simons - Even after the Holocaust; even after the attempt by the Arab world to strangle the country at the very moment of its birth; even after the Soviet anti-Zionist campaign that led to the "Zionism is racism" resolution of 1975; even after the UN's "world conference against racism" of 2001, which dissolved into an orgy of Jew-hate; and after many other examples of downright bigotry, Jerusalem continued to believe that the world would be on its side if it would only do the right thing and be seen to be doing so. Nobody believes this today. Hizbullah - widely recognized as a savage jihadi organization - began its entirely unprovoked rocket campaign against its democratic neighbor on Oct. 8. While rockets rained down on deserted towns and villages for almost a year, Jerusalem responded only tactically and maintained strategic patience. Fast-forward to the global reaction to Israel's recent escalation, when enough was finally enough. The international community erupted in condemnation, accusing Israel of breaking "international law." Then, whereas the media had all but ignored the plight of the thousands of Israeli families that have become refugees in their own country, it joined in a chorus of sympathy for the Lebanese civilians fleeing the battle zone. For all the lip-service paid to Israel's right to defend itself, when it comes to the crunch, the Jewish state is allowed to do only one thing. It is allowed to die. The single lesson of Oct. 7 was that if an enemy wishes to kill you and prepares to do so, sooner or later he will find a way to make his move. Is it possible to defend the killing of Nasrallah and the escalation in Lebanon on moral grounds? Taking a life is a sin. But which is the greater sin, to kill a jihadi aggressor or to allow your family to be massacred? Western finger-waggers have the luxury of warm beds, secure borders and a dearth of rockets pointed at their homes. Israel has no such privilege. It is time to let go of fantasies of how we wish the world to be and recognize the stark reality: the Jewish state is on the front line of a war between an alliance of autocracies and the overly-docile Free World. There is nothing pleasant about killing in self-defense, but tragically there can be worse sins. The writer is editor of the Jewish Chronicle-UK.
2024-10-01 00:00:00
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