I tremble at the injustice I see are the words of President Abraham Lincoln, that great emancipator. Reportedly, President Lincoln made these statements in reference to the abysmal suffering of Black Americans during the intensely dark days of slavery. His words are just as befitting today. I too, tremble as I witness the disproportionate devastation of Gaza and slaughter of innocent Palestinian women and children. The world is aghast at the images of inhuman ravages and destruction that capture the savagery of war. The Republic of South Africa has registered a formal lawsuit in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which makes an accusation of genocide against the nation of Israel. But what exactly is genocide; many are asking? Genocide is the destruction of a people in whole or in part; the killing or destruction of an ethnic group, people, or nation. The South African Republic is not alone, it is supported by the 57 member countries of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), Malaysia, Jordan, Bolivia, Columbia, Brazil, and the Arab League. On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants breached Israeli security and killed 1200 civilians while capturing 200 hostages. The attack by Hamas has sparked considerable debate, as this incident is seen from many perspectives. For many Hamas sympathizers, the attack and bloody butchering of Jews was a legitimate response to 75 years of displacement by an occupying force. Conversely, the supporters of the state of Israel on the other hand, perceive it as an unprovoked and, unprecedented brutal attack against the rights of a sovereign nation to peacefully exist. There is no monolithic point of view. This is a very sensitive topic, and many by virtue of the power structure have been silent and not forthcoming. However, in light of the length of the ongoing tragedy, world opinion is changing as it is confronted with a number of salient facts that depict the eradication of a people rather than the Hamas entity. There is without a doubt, a devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. I am writing to ask where is the outrage among the world’s population at the disproportionate slaughter of the innocent. To date, the world has silently witnessed the slaughter of 23,000 Palestinians, of which 70% are women and children. Moreover, 58,000 have been wounded and 146 United Nations workers killed. The Hamas-Israeli war has resulted in the displacement of 109 million Palestinians, which is 85% of their 2.2 million population. According to Senator Bernie Sanders,70% of the housing units in Gaza have been destroyed which surpasses the destruction that occurred in Dresden, Germany during World War II. Moreover, the vast destruction of Gaza that has occurred in a three-month period is equivalent to the destruction that occurred in Dresden during a two-year period. With respect to armed munitions, the United States has provided 15,000 bombs inclusive of both, 2000 and 1000-pound bombs and 56,000 artillery shells to Israel. Hence, the United States is indubitably, complicit. The Israel Defense Forces have dropped 22,000 bombs of which 45% have been “dumb bombs“ that is, bombs with no specific targets. Hospitals are essentially dysfunctional and sanitation conditions are deplorable. Starvation and hunger are rampant and tens of thousands are sleeping out in the cold. As these atrocities continue there has been a slow but steady growth in the support for the innocent civilians, women, and children of Gaza.
The former Harvard professor, brilliant academic scholar, and third-party presidential candidate, Dr. Cornell West has been increasingly vocal in his support of innocent Palestinians. In an eloquent speech in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, he stated, “Let the word go forth that he is holding up the bloodstain banner, and the tears soaked cause of the Palestinian people, not only in Gazza, but the world over. Continuing, he emphasized that it is the name of truth and the conditions of truth that allow the suffering to speak”. I am of the opinion that the right-wing extremist government of Prime Minister Netanyahu is acting recklessly and immoral. What the world is witnessing is tantamount to, the theater of the absurd, as one of the world’s most sophisticated and technologically advanced armies in the world, eviscerates one of the most defenseless people in the world. There is a growing number of Orthodox Jews, Rabbis, and organizations that have spoken out against the war. For example, Rabbi Bryant Rosen, founder of the JVP, Rabbinic Council, and the Jewish Voices for Peace decries such an unprecedented and disproportionate display of military might. I tremble at the injustice that I see along with millions of other compassionate humanitarians who are asking, when is enough, enough?
The wisdom of the universe has repeatedly spoken through Saints, sages, men, and women of dignity and goodwill that God is one and to Love God is exemplified through the love of others. The decimation of the Palestinian women and innocent children has been nauseating to witness, it is a clear demonstration of the lack of God-consciousness and a violation of the precepts of Torah. In Leviticus chapter 19:18, it is written that you should love your fellow man as yourself: ואהבת לרע כמוך. The children of God who possess the consciousness of God’s law imprinted on their souls would never violate this holy imperative! The spectacle that the world is witnessing is a catastrophic unprecedented crisis that is plausible to characterize as genocide. It is a sickening phenomenon that makes me tremble. This is the propitious moment to stand up and be counted as a conscientious humanitarian. It is time to stand up in concert with Dr. Cornell West. It is time to muster up the courage to quote the Torah in Leviticus, 19:18, and the gospel of Mark 12:29 wherein Jesus when asked, what the greatest commandment said, “Hear oh Israel, the Lord, our God is ONE and, thou shall love thy neighbor as thy Self. The Right-wing Christian, the conscientious Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Muslim, Hindu, Unitarian, Rastafarian, Jews, and the universal church of Catholicism should Join hands and say, “We tremble at this site and urge an immediate end to the devastation and destruction of the people of Gaza”. Each one should ascribe to the words of Hillel the Great, “ That which is hateful to you, do not unto your fellow; that is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation”.
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