Arms Linked In The War On Terror: In The Aftermath of the Paris Terror Attacks

Arms Linked In The War On Terror

By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman

January 12, 2015

The terror attacks in Paris this past week are but the latest in a string of attacks by Islamist militants all over the world.  Somehow, lost in the shadow cast by Paris, was last week’s massacre of 2000 men, women and children from one single village in Nigeria by Boko Haram.

Still, for any number of reasons, the Paris attacks at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and at the Hyper Cacher (the Jewish supermarket), attracted world leaders from 40 countries to a rally also attended by nearly 1.5 million Frenchmen.  They marched with linked arms to show solidarity in the fight against Islamist terror.

One result of the attacks is that as of today, French military presence is there to guard a number of Jewish schools that are perceived to be in the line of danger.  Another result has been an upswing in attacks against Moslem targets—including mosques—in 13 or more cities throughout France.

The anger is understandable; the violence is not.

The truth is that even though most of the terror attacks are perpetrated by extremist Islamists, not all Moslems are terrorists.  Islam in itself is no more a religion of terror than Christianity or Judaism (and we must remember that they all have been used in the past to impose and terrorize).  The problem is not religion; the problem is that people and governments use religion to wield power.  Separation of state and church is a wonderful ideal, but one that is rarely—if ever—actually possible.

In our disgust and anguish over terrorism, we must be careful not to generalize and exact revenge from entire populations.  As it turns out, a Moslem helped save more than a dozen shoppers in the kosher market in Paris, and the first police officer to arrive at the scene of the Charlie Hebdo massacre, the one who—with the whole world watching—was murdered in cold blood by the terrorists, was a Moslem.

Jewish teaching reminds us that only the wicked must be punished.  Likewise, the essence of Abraham’s argument with God over the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is that even a small kernel of goodness can cause the entirety to be saved.

Certainly, western governments need to be extra vigilant, much more than they have been in the past (and that includes the United States). We must be on our guard particularly when it comes to individuals and groups that are already on our radar screens—and others that yet may emerge.  Among all free people, there must be greater trust and cooperation, less divisiveness and recrimination.  The only way the free world will win this wave of attacks upon its life and values is if we unite as we did during World War Two, overcoming petty nationalism and individual brawling. 

It is time for all free countries to cooperate and be more proactive in fighting those who would see our destruction.  Yes, there will be “collateral damage” (don’t we all love this impersonal terminology describing the deaths of innocent victims?), but we must be prepared for this too.  It’s going to be a long and difficult struggle.  Freedom comes with a heavy price.

As far as Jews and Israel are concerned, there is yet another concern.  There is a widely held perception that Israel, while perhaps not the cause of all this upheaval, is certainly at its core.  Whether that is true or not does not matter.  The perception is there, and that makes it real in itself.  Israel somehow must become part of the solution.  How to do that is up to the diplomats of the world, including the US, the EU, Arab governments and certainly also Israel’s leaders.  That is one of the many issues facing Israel as it gears up to elections this coming spring. 

Sunday’s million-plus march against terror in Paris made a huge statement.  It had world leaders link arms in unity.  Netanyahu and Abbas were both there; they may not have exchanged words, but their very presence in that front row now places them in the position where they will need to follow up with real action, with real steps that will help lead to the end of terror and mayhem.  Otherwise, all this will be in vain, and terror will win in the end.

So let’s take example from the show of unity in Paris.  Let us all link arms—Moslem, Jew, Christian, atheist or follower of any other religion—and stand up to the terror.  Together, let us build a wall that will prove stronger than hatred.  Together we will win.

In the words of the psalmist, Adonai oz l’amo yitein, Adonai y’varech et amo bashalom:  “May God give strength to His people, may God bless His people with peace.”

© 2015 by Boaz D. Heilman