Animals and people in Judea and Samaria

BS”D

We spend a lot of time and energy defending Israel, and rightly so. We do not compromise on Israel’s right to carry out this righteous struggle against Islamist evil. In a moment in history of massive moral confusion regarding who the good and bad actors in this conflict are, we have been steadfast in siding with the good side-Israel.

There are, however, very troubling things happening in Judea and Samaria (“West Bank”) which have even caused the most pro-Israeli of American ambassadors, Mick Huckabee, to react. Arab villages and shepherds have been attacked, mosques torched, olive tree harvests have been set on fire (these olive trees are often hundreds of years old and are the main source of income for these farmers). Cars have also been set on fire and even murders carried out against innocent Arab civilians. I think the one that upset me the most personally was from reading an article in that most pro-Israeli of English daily newspapers, The Telegraph, where it was claimed that masked settlers tortured and killed innocent lambs. What a heinous crime to attack innocent animals, who cannot defend themselves, and who have absolutely no moral culpability in anything that’s happening. How can Jews do these things? It’s transgressing Tzaar Baalei Chaim by a country mile.

Some people will never care about animals’ suffering, since anyone who isn’t human is not worthy of compassion for them. Animals are just there to eat, to use for agricultural needs and as modes of transportation; in short, they are deemed as merely tools. But this is not the view of Judaism; according to Judaism, animals are living souls capable of feelings, and as a result of this, also capable of pain. We are therefore taught to be very cognizant of animals’ suffering in the Jewish tradition, to the point of where we even feed our own animals before we feed ourselves. To then cause an animal totally unnecessary pain, and to use it as a pawn to terrorize your non-Jewish neighbors, is a morally despicable act.

All Israeli politicians and rabbis need to do the outmost to condemn, educate and take action against these crimes, whether they are crimes against humanity or animals.

For people whose first reaction here is to downplay or contextualize these crimes, I just want to say the following: You cannot just defend and defend without also calling out the bad things, then you lose credibility. Not enough people are arrested and tried for these crimes, and the military always comes too late, or just in time just to disperse people, but let’s just say they’re not doing a manhunt for these perpetrators, like they would if an Arab was culpable. If you have a military regime, like we have in the West Bank it has to offer protection to everyone under its rule, otherwise it becomes wholly unjust. I cannot trust that Itamar Ben Gvir, a person who was previously convicted by the Israeli state, for terrorist-related offences to be the highest minister in charge of these issues.

With a heavy heart and a prayer for a better future.