My name is Rabbi Moishe Silverman. I am the director of Campus Jewish Outreach, a Chabad sponsored project that is on the FAU campus in Boca Raton I am also part of FAU’s Campus Ministries. In the past there have been some discussions at different campuses that speak out against a war with Iraq. The article reflects my opinion on the present situation.
Campus Jewish OutreachBroward & Palm Beach Counties 1500 North State Rd. 7 Margate, Florida 33063Phone 954-970-9551 Fax 954-970-9552 Email: [email protected]
To the University Press FAU
In Defense of a Pre-emptive Strike
The decision to go to war for a free and ethical society is indeed difficult. Judaically, war was either by: 1. Divine command, such as “To destroy the Amalekites”(a totally evil nation). 2. A required war, such as self-defense. And3. Even a permitted war for expansion, when approved by the Sanhedrin (a court of Jewish law numbering 71 judges).
Even though Saddam Hussein may fit into the category of totally evil, I do not think that the President of the United States has received a Divine command to wage a war.
However, self-defense can apply to Saddam Hussein, Al Queda and those that scream out “Death to America” because they truly mean it and actively carry out or support the killing of Americans and other innocent people. Judaism further states that when a person’s intention or group’s intention is clear in its desire to kill, there actually is the obligation to “shoot” first – to pre-empt. Though it could be argued that Saddam Hussein and his government have never directly attacked the United States, Saddam, however has aided and supported those that have killed innocent American citizens and continues to do so. He certainly has shown to be an aggressor against other innocent nations and people in the past.
Judaism does require that we exhaust all other options before war is waged. Again the question could be raised; “Have we exhausted the options?” I personally believe 4200 plus days is enough time for one to declare exhaustion. If war is to be avoided, it is in Saddam’s court. He can either retire with his family to another country with his “hard earned money” and/or, he can call in CNN to watch and televise as he actually destroys all his facilities for weapons of mass destruction in front of the group selected for inspections of any facility, anywhere at anytime.
Jewish tradition considers pacifism in the face of aggression to be immoral. Refusing to fight evil is to be part to evil. As Michael Kelly (Washington Post September 26, 2001) has pointed out:
“No honest person can pretend that the groups that attacked America will, if let, alone not attack again. Nor can any honest person say that this attack is not at least reasonably likely to kill thousands upon thousands of innocent people. To not fight in this instance is to let the attackers live to attack and murder again; to be a pacifist in this instance is to accept and, in practice, support this outcome.”
The same is true for Saddam Hussein. To allow him to go on his way, as he chooses, will in the end cost the lives of thousands upon thousands of innocent people as history has shown us.
