Let me begin by noting that I have great respect for Russell Moore. I have followed his work from a distance for some time and I have perceived him to be a voice for justice even when it wasn’t popular and even when it threatened his job.
However, I am deeply grieved by Moore’s editorial in Christianity Today over the weekend in which he encouraged American Christians to support Israel as they respond “with force” (his words) to the most recent attacks.
Now I most certainly stand with Moore in condemnation of Hamas and their brutal attack on Israel. The loss of innocent lives in Israel is abominable. I am deeply grieved. And our hearts and our prayers continue to go out to the many who have suffered and continue to suffer.
Does Moore understand the nature of human government?
The problem is that Moore’s exhortation to “stand with Israel” shows little awareness of the complexity of this conflict or the nature of human government.
Moore states, “American Christians should be united in support of Israel as it’s under attack.”
Now, in one sense, I would most certainly agree that we should support the people of Israel at this time. They have suffered the loss of hundreds of innocent lives and they continue to live in fear of more missiles coming in from Gaza.
But I wonder if Moore would agree that we should also stand with the people of Gaza. After all, the world knows that Israel’s response to these acts of terror will cause untold devastation among the people of Gaza. As noted in the Jerusalem Post, Israel’s response to the attacks has already included the suspension of food, water, electricity, fuel, and other necessary goods to Gaza. According to this BBC report, Israeli authorities confirm that Gaza will soon run out of necessary supplies.
Is Moore encouraging us to stand with a nation when it is imposing untold suffering on civilians? (NB: approximately one-half of the 2.2 million people in the Gaza Strip are children. Defense for Children International-Palestine has already reported the death of 91 children in Gaza as a result of Israel’s response).
Now, in saying this, I am not denying that a nation has the right to defend itself. The question is: are we to stand with Israel (or any nation) when its response to the horrific attacks includes the starving of civilians and the deprivation of the sick and injured with the necessary utilities to ensure their care?
Should we stand with any nation if they are going to respond with “force”?
Moore attempts to justify his appeal by asserting that Israel is a “just state” that has a right to respond with “force.” I find this deeply troubling.
For one, we must ask if there is such a thing as a “just” state. But beyond this, Moore seems to be unaware of Israel’s untold human rights violations against the Palestinians for well over the last 50 years. The fact that Israel has continued to illegally move its citizens into settlements throughout the West Bank (over 700,000 Israelis now live in the West Bank), that they continue to restrict the movement of Palestinians within the West Bank, which causes untold distress and economic oppression, that they continue to enter homes throughout the West Bank in the middle of the night to arrest and detain Palestinian children (for details, see Defense for Children International-Palestine), that Israel continues to restrict access to water and other basic needs in the Palestinian territories, and that Israel maintains a stifling blockade of the Gaza strip (note the result of this google search on “World’s largest outdoor prison”), not to mention the countless other human rights violations, leads to the conviction that Israel is not a “just” state. This should come as no surprise; as I am of the persuasion that no state is just.
In saying this, by no means do I intend to demonize the Jewish people or the citizens of Israel. They are good people. And we weep with them over the suffering and trauma that the recent attacks have leveled on them.
The state of Israel, however, is not the same as the Jewish people. As a state, Israel continues to violate international law and oppress the Palestinian people.
In addition, I am deeply concerned with Moore’s appeal to support the state of Israel and its violent response because it fails to show any awareness of what it means to say that Israel is going to respond “with force.” Why would any Christian leader urge the church to stand with any nation (just or unjust) as it leashes force upon another—especially when the target of said force includes civilians?
I am not saying that a nation cannot defend itself. Hamas’ killing, kidnapping, and acts of terror against innocent Israelis is damnable. But so is the response that the nation of Israel is leveling against the people of Gaza. Should not Christians be responding to the crisis by demanding mediated negotiations in order to find a just and peaceful solution?
Israel is a democracy
Finally, Moore also attempts to justify his position by suggesting that we should stand with Israel because they are “a fellow liberal democracy—and a democracy in a region dominated by illiberal, authoritarian regimes.” This note seems almost nonsensical. It betrays an almost blind “democracies are good and need to be supported at all costs” mentality. Does Moore not realize that all forms of human government are subject to corruption? Would Moore have us pledge support to any nation simply because they are a democracy even if that nation was guilty of vast human rights violations?
So, what if, instead of demanding that Christians stand in solidarity with a nation-state, we simply weep with the suffering? What if we gathered for prayer vigils in order to plead with God to bring peace? What if we lamented at our own nation’s complicity in this ongoing conflict? What if we grieved at the suffering that Hamas has inflicted? What if we grieve the suffering that the Gazans are now going to endure because of Israel’s (just or unjust is irrelevant) response? What if we loved our enemies? What if we appealed to our government not to support a violent response, but to demand that a peaceful resolution be negotiated?
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