Right To Exist or Right To Commit Genocide?

As an Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) elected representative, I often find myself in between two or more people in conflict. 

Where I work at—the Chicago Transit Authority—it is either two conflicting employees or an employee and a powerful person or authority who is punishing them (typically the CTA manager or lawyer). 

Despite my notorious militant reputation and proud declaration as an unconditional defender of employees in union bargained for jobs, I still approach the situation seeking the facts. 

Out of curiosity, I try to do the same thing with non-work-related issues as well.

One example is the recent genocide going on in Gaza.

The Jewish Torah—popularly known as the first five books of the Christian Bible—actually permits capital retribution.

Specifically, this is found in Exodus 19:2, Deuteronomy 19:19-21 Leviticus 24:17-22. However, can the fallacy of oversimplification justify mass murder (Rabbi Johnathan Kliger presents an interesting discussion related to this topic in An Eye For An Eye?).

Presuming that the Israeli state exists on the foundation of the Torah—as we in the United States are told by many politicians and preachers of Christianity and Judaism—then the murder of 1000 Israelis by the Hamas government should not be exceeded by the murder of 1000 Palestinians by the Israeli government. 

It may sound cold-blooded to pacifists and others. However, it is justice according to Divine Law in the Torah.

Therefore, the murder of 40,000 Palestinians for 1,000 Israelis is far beyond the restriction set by the aforementioned scriptures. 

Such an excessive policy should be unacceptable to any believer in the Torah—and especially an Israeli citizen. 

Examination of these facts through the lens of Just Cause, the Israeli government will be found in violation of it's own religious codes. Specifically, they fail the tests of Due Process and Fair Treatment.

Within the context of this particular conflict in Gaza—which is the stated justification as total war against the Hamas government—the Israeli state’s right to exist has been negated by its own acts. 

Am I stating that the State of Israel should be destroyed or change? No. That is up to the people who suffer and live directly in and around Israel-Palestine to decide. However, I am saying that the Israeli government must be condemned for its excesses and the unfurling genocidal acts. 

Effectively, the Israeli state has modified their arguments from a right to exist to a right to commit genocide. They cannot have both. Moreover, the United States government—and the presidents who are supposed to uphold the Constitution—are partners in the genocide. 

In this article, the stand I take is of my own. It is not necessarily the opinion of the ATU—as an organization or of other members.