Let Us Now Praise Vengeance

     My Jewish friends tell me that when a Jew dies of natural causes, they say: "May his memory be for a blessing." I then remembered something I read by the essayist Meir Soloveichik. It was not long after the slaughter of Jews at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh a number of years ago. He wrote that when a Jew is murdered, something much darker is uttered. They say: "Hashem Yikom Daman." Which translated means, "May God avenge their blood". Let me quote Mr. Soloveichik: "When it comes to mass murderers, Jews do not believe that we must love the sinner while hating the sin….We believe that a man who shoots up a synagogue knows well what he does; that a murderer who sheds the blood of helpless elderly men and women knows exactly what he does; that one who brings death to those engaged in celebrating new life knows precisely what he does. To forgive in this context is to absolve; and it is, for Jews, morally unthinkable." I wrote a while back about the idea of disliking, or even hating the artist...but loving the art. The Christian equivalent to this type of thinking is "turn the other cheek." There is no turning the other cheek for the Jews. I love the Jews.

    I write this for a couple of reasons. The first is probably obvious. Not a New York minute after I wrote a piece on those high school football playing kids (AND their coach) out in Ohio who spent an entire game verbally abusing their nowhere near as good opponents from an all-Jewish school, with anti-semitic vitriol that I hope turned the stomachs of those of you who read that (and the link is here if you haven't already done so), the terrorist group Hamas, backed by Iran, led a devastating attack on Israel. It was coordinated, deadly...and a complete surprise. Not to put too fine a point on it...but this has been just another in a long line of Israeli 9-11's. And if the growing anti-semitism throughout the world, as well as right here in our so-called land of tolerance, is any indication...it probably won't be the last...but we'll get back to that later this week.

    However, for now, let's return to vengeance. We live in a time where the words "vengeance" and "avenge" are frowned upon by the so-called "enlightened" of society. To them, these words are at the very least, medieval, and at the most, suggest a never-ending cycle of violence. Well, to hell with that. You see, even short of war, many of the laws that citizens live by...at least citizens in a civilized society, make no sense without the idea of vengeance. The idea of incarceration, or especially, capital punishment...is incoherent when it is unmoored from the idea of vengeance. I understand there are those who cling to the idea of incarceration as something akin to rehabilitation. And that may be fine up to a point, or even once a prisoner has served his or her time. But one is in jail because one is being punished. It's vengeance, pure and simple. And that is as it should be.

    Now, will the punishment or vengeance, as it were, bring back the dead? It will not. The best one can do is remove the culprits so they will not act again. It's very...what's the word...utilitarian. But it matters. It matters because entire lives are changed when one is murdered. When that life is obliterated in such a way...especially by terrorism...other lives are obliterated. Families and friends lives take totally different tracks when a loved one is murdered. Almost dying changes nothing...Dying changes everything. 

    I'm not going to bore you with a history of the Middle East, but the fact is that Israel rightfully took its place amongst the world's nations back in 1948. They played by the rules Britain had set up at the time...paid for the land when needed...and settled the land that no one else had claimed, or wanted. They did it like every other nation had done for hundreds of years. The difference? They were surrounded by medieval peoples who wanted to erase them from existence. And those peoples are still on Israel's doorstep. They are still hunted down. They are still doing their best to be kept from being pushed into the sea. No small task against rabid dogs. 

    As of this writing, Israel has fought back...as they always do. And as always happens, the rest of the world tries to tell Israel how to defend itself. And by that I mean, telling Israelis how to lay down and hope for the best. I found it amusing in a disgusted sort of way when immediately after the first wave of atrocities...when innocents were slaughtered, and babies heads were severed from the bodies, there was an immediate call for Israel to show restraint, as if restraint is some sort of virtue. Should one show restraint when seeing an elderly woman being beaten in a subway car? Should you show restraint when a young child is carrying a pot full of boiling water? Uh...no. Restraint, in and of itself, is not a virtue. It is just one of a variety of responses to unclear situations. 

    But what about the Palestinians in Gaza, you ask? Well, to be honest with you, and at the risk of sounding like a heartless bastard, as time goes on I feel less and less sorry for them. And it's not like I'm alone in that sentiment. There's not an Arab country that actually gives a damn about the Palestinians. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, etc., just wish they would go away. And here's the kicker: Israel pulled out of Gaza years ago and said, "Okay, you want to rule yourselves...have at it. But if the terrorists start taking over and shooting missiles at us, we're coming back." Well, the Israelis are coming back. And I don't think they give a damn anymore that the terrorists are hiding behind women and children. I know I wouldn't. Everybody's been warned. It’s called self-preservation. 

    We have two major wars taking place simultaneously in the world. In both cases, a country was attacked and invaded mercilessly and without warning. In one case, the country that was attacked and invaded has been held up as morally virtuous and worthy of our emotional and physical support, against an adversary that is both evil and deserving of the most vicious military response. Ukraine deserves this support and more. You've got half the country here with the Ukrainian flag on their front lawn. I think it's great. 

    In the other war, the country that was attacked and invaded (and not for the first time, mind you) has been pilloried both publicly and privately by a long list of countries; has watched as citizens from all over the world, especially the United States, take up the cause of the aggressor in language that is reminiscent of the Third Reich. Israel has watched and heard all of this as the only democratic state in the entire region, and has been an ally of the West, especially the United States, since its birth. As I walk and drive around I don't see too many Israeli flags next to the Ukrainian flags on people's front lawns.

    When Pearl Harbor was attacked, there was no restraint by the United States. When the Twin Towers fell and the Pentagon was attacked, and a third airline was fortunately denied its final target, there was no restraint by the United States. As for me, I hope Israel does not restrain itself. There was evil done to its people and that evil should be exterminated. If you find that thought coarse and medieval, I can't help you. Those deaths should be avenged. 

write to Peter: magtour@icloud.com