Q & A - WITH RABBI RISKIN

Question: Although I am very much in favor of the possibility of destroying Hamas, I waver a bit when I see all the pictures of innocent babies and women who are apparently being killed in the struggle against our enemies. Another rabbi I spoke with told me that the Bible commands us to kill women and babies. What does he mean by that?

Answer:

In an obligatory war, when we are fighting against an enemy who has attacked us and wishes to destroy us – which is certainly the case with Hamas – it is critical for the future existence of our people that we win against our enemy.

The bible does say that when fighting the seven nations who were indigenous to the land of Canaan and when fighting against our arch-enemy Amalek we are to kill their women and children as well. However, the Netziv (Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin) suggests that these are women and children who are somehow involved in the war against us. I never understood his interpretation until our present day wars against the Palestinians, wherein the terrorists use as human shields women and children in order to protect themselves and to continue their murderous designs. 

There is no military in the world that is as sensitive to civilian casualties and which tries to prevent collateral damage as does the IDF.  And in most instances, we even refrain from killing terrorists when they are surrounded by children – which they do as a matter of course in order to protect themselves. Unfortunately, we have no choice when civilians and children are in a mosque or a school which is hiding the rockets and missiles which they are planning to use against us.

Thank G-d we seem to be winning this war with G-d's help and we hope that we will soon enter a period of peace.