Israel's initial response to Hamas was justified, but its conduct now is no longer just
In 1944, the moralist John C. Ford, S.J., a Catholic priest, wrote an article about the “obliteration bombing” of German cities in the midst of World War II.
The Allies, primarily with American bombers, carried out the obliteration bombing of several German cities, including Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, and Frankfurt. The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called it “the systematic shattering of German cities."
John Ford was clear that the Allies, led by the United States, were justified in going to war against Germany and the other Axis nations. There was a just cause for waging war because of the atrocities of the Nazis against large swathes of Europe, together with the systemic genocide of six million Jews during the Holocaust in the years 1941-1945.
Another view: Ceasefire is needed because too many Palestinian children are dying in Israel-Hamas war
How the just-war theory developed
A conservative moralist, John Ford was bold and courageous in being one of the few voices who questioned the conduct of the Allies in how they were waging war.
‘Introduced by Augustine in the Fifth Century and developed further by Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century, the just-war theory has been refined over the centuries and is carefully set in current international law.
Not only must there be a just cause, but also there must be moral means in the conduct of the war. John Ford recognized the appropriate conduct of the Allies in World War II until the “obliteration bombing” of German cities.
It became a systemic policy and strategy of the Allies, in which non-combatants—such as children, the elderly, the injured and seriously ill – were being killed in these massive bombings of population centers.
It was only at this point that John Ford called the war, from the Allies’ conduct, unjust.
Clearly the Nazis had no regard for innocent non-combatants; however, their disregard for innocent human life did not mean that the Allies were justified in following suit.
Then, there were the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki a year later. Proponents said that this “obliteration bombings” shortened the war. The just-war tradition strongly teaches that those who respond to injustice cannot use similar means of destruction as the unjust aggressor.
Another view: A ceasefire in Israel puts Jews at risk of annihilation at the hands of Hamas
Rising antisemitism and Hamas are true threats
This brings us to the current Middle East crisis. I grew up in North Memphis, just three blocks from Baron Hirsch Synagogue. Because its members walked to the synagogue on the Sabbath, most of my neighbors were Jewish.
I believed then, and now, that the Jewish People are God’s Chosen People. One school morning as Dad drove us to school when I was in the sixth grade, as we drove by Baron Hirsch, I asked Dad what had been painted on the white outside stone of the synagogue during the night. Dad told me it was a swastika, and I became aware of antisemitism.
Tragically, over the centuries, again and again Jews have been persecuted. The worst attack on Jews was the Holocaust in which six million Jews were murdered. It is part of the Hamas’ stated aim: the wiping out of the Jewish people.
On Oct. 7, the Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli settlements, and they viciously murdered 1400 Jewish citizens. In response, Israel was justified in attacking Hamas in Gaza. It was a just cause to wage war, responding to the horrific attack of the Hamas on Israeli non-combatants.
In this month, however, Israel has waged attacks in which 11,000-plus Palestinians have died. Many of those killed were children, non-combatants, and those injured or ill.
Indeed, Hamas has infiltrated their presence among innocent citizens. It makes waging war on Hamas all the more difficult. But it doesn’t call for Israel to respond in a similar way as the Hamas in their killing of the innocent. In light of international law calling for the protection of non-combatants, a serious challenge must be lodged against the Israeli government.
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Israel was justified to respond, but it has gone too far
It’s a just war. Nonetheless, the Israeli indiscriminate bombing of population areas in Gaza – not an isolated exception, but a strategy undertaken – must lead us to consider calling their means of war unjustified.
Hamas has been brutal in killing non-combatants. But that does not give permission for Israel to respond accordingly in the bombing of population centers.
The moralist John Ford made a strong argument that the Allies’ war effort became unjustified by their systemic obliteration of German cities.
The same can be asked about the Israeli response in this first month of the war.
Valentine N. Handwerker is the retired pastor of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Israel-Hamas war: Response was justified, but it's no longer just
