The Blood of the Innocent

This is what the Lord says: “A cry is heard in Ramah— deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted— for her children are gone.” - Jeremiah 31:15

Pope Francis has  declared October 7, the anniversary of the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel,  as a Day of Fasting and Prayer for World Peace, The time has come to reflect on the events of the past year, the moral justification for what has transpired till date, and what hope this holds out for the people of Israel, Palestine and now, Lebanon.

The three perpetrators of this year-long War are Israel, along with its terrorist opponents, Hamas and Hezbollah. October 7 marks the day when Hamas made its maiden foray into Israeli territory, successfully unleashing its own brand of terror and violence against the leaders and citizens of Israel. From then on, the world continues to witness the full-on version of Israeli revenge, with the clear aim to annihilate the terrorist groups in Palestine and in Lebanon.

Our discussion here is not about whose cause is worthy in this bloody fight. It is about who are the ultimate victims of this tragic war. From the very beginning, there has been little or no attempt on any side to limit military operations to military targets. Israel razed Gaza to brick and rubble in an attempt to annihilate Hamas militants. Homes, hospitals and schools were completely destroyed and news channels gave detailed accounts of the number of women and children who died in the crossfire. Hamas and  Hezbollah, the terrorist outfits that operate from Palestine and Lebanon had no compunction in using civilians as human shields against the Israeli onslaught. Their armed units were set up in residential areas to deter the enemy from targeting their bases.

Throughout all this, Israel has remained unfazed and determined in its mission. Whatever came in the way was of little consequence. For the terror groups, the common citizens were used and abused at will, and it mattered little whether they were Palestinian, Lebanese or Israeli.  

Through the first quarter of this year-long saga,  the world community upheld Israel’s right to defend itself. The Christian standpoint also went along with world opinion in this regard. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2309 spells out a nation’s right to defend itself – the doctrine of ‘just war’. But this statement is qualified by the succeeding conditions which warn against producing ‘evils and disorders greater than the evil to be eliminated.’ In the case of Israel, the nation sees only one thing— the eradication of the enemy from the face of the earth at any cost!

 In addition, there was a sympathy with Israel within the global Christian community because of their special status as God’s chosen people—the descendants of Abraham.  From a Christian standpoint, it is very important to clear the air on some of the issues that are clouding our perspective in this regard. Philip Primeau , a theologian and journalist, has explained why the modern State of Israel cannot be identified with the Israel of the Bible. The Old Testament records God’s promise to Abraham, and his descendents were recognised as  God’s chosen people till the coming of the Messiah. When Christ  established God’s kingdom, people of all nations came together to form the church, as His Word spread ‘upto the ends of the earth.’ Thus, this congregation of God’s chosen people, which was Israel in the Old Testament,  is now made up of Christian denominations spread across the world. More importantly, it is clearly distinct from the political State of Israel as we understand it today.

Today Israel stands accused of overstepping its brief by a long shot. The excuse of self- defence cannot  be justified in the face of mass murder and devastation. Pope Francis criticized the Israeli attacks on Lebanon as going “beyond morality.” He continues to recommend constructive dialogue as the way forward, though no one seems to be taking him seriously at this point of time.

Tomorrow, we join the Pope in prayer and fasting for justice to prevail in God’s good time. His appeal for peace and dialogue goes unheard in the heavy clatter of ammunition that continues to destroy lives and habitation. God’s judgement is never far away when it concerns innocent lives. Matthew 18:10 warns us of disregarding lives of children— “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

Divine justice is swift and sharp. God the Father has little tolerance for the shedding of innocent blood. Genesis 4 tells the story of Cain and Abel. Let us never forget the words of  God to Cain –“The voice of thy brother’s blood cries unto me from the ground” The blood of the blameless martyrs in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon cry out in unison, and the crimes against them will not go unpunished.

May the prayers of the Holy Father and the world community, and the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary bring peace to these war-torn countries, and help the warlords to use their resources to build a better world rather than destroy what is left of it.