War of Violence versus War of Valor! ( Fr. TJ. Puliyan, MSFS)

War brings destruction and division; therefore, most of the people do not like it. It takes away the lives of our loved ones and makes human lives miserable. Wars bring destruction and decay, human tears and pain. But is it a sufficient reason not to have wars? Probably not. Humanity has been at war with nature, nations, and even among themselves. When we examine the root cause of some of the wars in the past, we understand that the underlying reasons are ridiculous, such as human pride and arrogance, selfishness and profit motives, misunderstandings, and even no understanding.

Can the current war between Hamas and Israel be justified? Certainly, different people may have different viewpoints on this matter. However, certain fundamental realities cannot be underlined for any reason. I call it a war of valor and a war of violence. Violence begets violence, and violence is not part of any solution. An unexpected provocation of violence on any party amid a peaceful status quo can cause retaliation by another party with violence. It is quite natural, and we call it self-defense. I think what Iseral did is more of self-defense on being on the offensive side rather than an attack. When we look at the history and background of Israel, we know that they did not intend to invade or attack anyone but always defended themselves and their partners. Their past proves that they have great nerves to survive as a nation, and their level of resilience is very high as a nation.

They have stood the tempests of the past from different corners of the world, especially from their immediate neighbors. Though they are tiny as a nation, numbering less than 10 million people, and relatively young, formed as a nation in 1948, they have come up to a high standard. They have proved their caliber and character by making substantial contributions to the growth and development of the world. They developed the barren land given to them into a garden of flowers, exporting flowers and fruits across the world today. They built up a powerful intelligence and defense system with this minimum of people. Israel has contributed to the world’s most significant number of Nobel Prize winners. Intelligence, intuition and wisdom are part of their DNA and their approach and live style. Their fight is a war of valor, not of violence.

Hamas is categorized as a terrorist organization, and terrorists are most often not motivated and led by reason and intelligence but rather by emotions and passions. Terrorists’ contribution to the world’s well-being is death, pain, destruction, violence, and misery, leading to an inhuman way of life. They can perceive only through their narrow glasses and cannot go into the shoes of others. They terrorize and manipulate ordinary people by force and power and hijack leaders and government systems with their tactics.

The provocation of Hamas is more of a war of violence, not a war of valor. When one follows the path of violence, they refuse to be part of a solution but choose to be part of problems. They are prone to live in problems, die with problems and cause problems to others. People, irrespective of their faith affiliations and ethnic and cultural background, deserve a better deal in this life. Hamas needs to learn from Iseral how to be more productive rather than destructive, intelligent rather than emotional, and proactive rather than reactive. The one planet we are all in is for us to live happily and joyfully as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the same God who created us all.