Is it healthy for Israeli society to seek revenge against its enemies? - opinion

During Sukkot, a friend and neighbor was killed in Lebanon. Aviad was a 31-year-old father of four young children. He was also a husband, son, brother, uncle, and friend. He was on a mission in Lebanon when Hezbollah terrorists popped out of a tunnel and surprised him and his fellow soldiers. 

At his funeral, speaker after speaker told of Aviad’s sterling character and also repeatedly called for revenge. The call for retribution for Aviad’s killing wasn’t the normal topic for a eulogy but fit in line with the acronym – “God avenge his death” – which followed Aviad’s name on the signs announcing his death.

I couldn’t help but wonder whether calling for revenge was the proper response to the killings of Aviad, other soldiers, and innocent Israelis killed since the October 7, 2023 mega-atrocity by Hamas on Simchat Torah. The desire for revenge is as human as any other emotion and it is understandable when families seek revenge against those who have taken loved ones from them. 

The question must be asked, specifically in the aftermath of the worst attack perpetrated against Jews in decades: Is it healthy for Israeli society to seek and obsess over revenge against its enemies? Is seeking revenge consistent with Jewish tradition?

This question can only be asked within the framework of the nation-state of Israel and not whether it is proper for an individual to seek revenge. The State of Israel is a nation of laws; vigilante acts of violent revenge are not even up for discussion.

There’s no doubt that the perpetrators of the massacre and the fighters battling against Israel on the seven fronts of this war deserve justice and it is the Israeli army’s role to carry out that justice. The Israeli military is also responsible for securing Israel from future attacks. Every enemy fighter eliminated, from Gaza to Judea and Samaria to Yemen, ensures a safer Israel.

While many claim that the continued Israeli war against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iranians is a war against an ideology that can never be truly ended, every enemy fighter taken off the battlefield is one less fighter able to hurt Jews and attack Israel. But should Israel’s war be motivated by revenge against its enemies?

Andrew Fox is a research fellow specializing in the Middle East, defense, and disinformation. He recently made a visit to Gaza and spoke to Israeli soldiers. Fox shared his observations of the Israeli soldiers he met, writing: “One thing really struck me from conversations with the IDF frontline soldiers. Many expressed huge sympathy for the Palestinian civilians caught between them and Hamas. Almost all of them expressed sadness at the ‘tragedy’ (their words, not mine) unfolding in Gaza.

“None of them said they want to have to do the job they’ve been given but they all understand that it needs doing and they are stepping up to secure their country. But, as one said, ‘It’s a war.’ (And literally every possible metric suggests they’re doing a good job at protecting the lives of those Palestinian civilians. They’re proud of how few have died compared to the number of Hamas fighters killed – that unprecedented 1:1 ratio means a lot to them.)

“Their attitude was regretful but determined. Notably, not one expressed any desire for revenge or any hatred. They could not have been further from the vengeful maniacs portrayed by those who take their news only from social media.”

THE TOPIC of revenge is discussed frequently in Jewish literature. God commanded the Jewish people, “Don’t seek revenge or carry a grudge against any of your people. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am God.” 

What did Maimonides say?

Maimonides codified the prohibition against revenge, writing, “A person who takes revenge against a colleague transgresses a Torah prohibition. Instead [of taking revenge], a person should train himself to rise above his feelings about all worldly things, for men of understanding consider all these things as vanity and emptiness, which are not worth seeking revenge for.” 

Maimonides cited the example of King David, a warrior who had plenty of enemies: “King David proclaimed regarding his exemplary qualities, ‘Have I repaid those who have done evil to me? Behold, I have rescued those who hated me without cause.’”

Maimonides wrote that not only is taking revenge prohibited, but even bearing a grudge is forbidden for “as long as he brings the matter to mind and remembers it, there is the possibility that he will seek revenge. Therefore, the Torah condemned holding a grudge, [requiring] one to wipe the wrong from his heart entirely, without remembering it at all.”

While God prohibits individuals from taking revenge against those who have wronged them, He commands Moses to take revenge against the Israelites’ enemies. The Bible states: “The Lord spoke to Moses saying, ‘Take revenge for the children of Israel against the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.’ So Moses spoke to the people, saying, ‘Arm from among you men for the army, that they can be against Midian, and carry out the Lord’s revenge against Midian’” (Numbers 31).

The individual is prohibited from taking revenge against those who hurt them because the attitude of getting back at people is the opposite of the proper attitude of loving your neighbor as you love yourself. It’s an attitude that destroys the fabric of society. In a nation, like the State of Israel, that follows democratic laws, there is also no option for the individual citizen or groups of citizens to take revenge. 

The only question is whether the nation and its army should be motivated by revenge as opposed to, or in addition to, defending itself and carrying out justice against its enemies. According to the letter of the law, there would be no prohibition of the nation seeking revenge, as God commanded the Jewish people regarding Midian.

An enemy attacks the Jewish people specifically to destroy its fabric of life, values, and the moral society that the Jewish people develop for itself. Strategically, it is best for a nation and its soldiers to be motivated by justice or defense as it battles its enemies. Justice and defense are tangible objectives that can be achieved through measurable goals.

The writer is a Zionist educator at institutions around the world. He recently published his book, Zionism Today.