In summary, with regards to Israel, we must follow two important commandments that guide our relationships with the outside world. First, there is the imperative to love our neighbor and the stranger. Second is the dictum to wholly defend ourselves from our enemies who seek our destruction. While on the surface these may pose a contradiction, in reality, they do not, because if our neighbors and the strangers among us are willing to live in genuine peace with us then we gladly and actively will extend the olive branch in peace and brotherhood. But if unfortunately, our neighbors are bent on our genocide then we must fight them.

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THE BLOGS
Andy Blumenthal
The Stranger and The
Enemy
Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal
After the 11-day war with Hamas in Gaza that left another twelve Israelis dead
and millions scurrying to bomb shelters amidst over 4,000 missiles shot
indiscriminately at Israeli civilian population centers, I am left wondering about

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how are we supposed to treat those Palestinians, who want all of Israel for
themselves (“from the river to the sea”) and to genocidally wipe out all the Jews
from off the map.
On the one hand, we are instructed, and as Jews are deeply inclined to “Love thy
neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18) and to have compassion and show
kindness to the stranger in our midst (perhaps like to the Arab Israelis). This is
similar to how we are to show goodwill and mercy to the widow and orphan who
are vulnerable (Deuteronomy 10-19):
These essential Jewish teachings would lead us to rightfully contemplate and
pursue the legitimate need to integrate with and make a genuine peace with the
Arabs that live in Israel, Judea and Samaria, as well as the surrounding Arab
nations. Because, as Jews, we were both slaves in Egypt and exiled from our land
for 2,000 years, endlessly subjugated and persecuted, we know what it is like to
be mistreated, and so we need to learn from this to be a “holy nation”
(Deuteronomy 7:6) as well as a “light unto the nations”(Isaiah 49:6) in terms of
how to properly treat others (whether they are righteous converts, resident
aliens, or our neighbors).
On the other hand, in the Torah, we also are told to utterly destroy those
nations that represent evil or which are an existential threat to us. For example,
we are commanded to destroy the Seven Nations of the land of Canaan so that
they would not divert us from following Hashem (Deuteronomy 7:1-4):
You shall love the stranger, as you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
“
When the L-rd your G-d will bring you to the land into which you are coming
to take possession of it, and he will banish many nation from before you: the
Hittites, the Girgashites, the Emorites, the Canaanites, the Perizites, the
Hivites, and Yevusites…you will smite them; you shall destroy them; you shall
“

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Similarly, G-d also commanded that we destroy Amalek who brutally attacked
the weakest of the Israelites in the desert when we left Egyptian slavery and
who seek our destruction in every generation. They are considered the essence
of evil and we must ght against them to their nish (Deuteronomy 25:19):
So those bent on Israel’s destruction (like a radicalized nuclear Iran or their
terrorist proxies Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, etc.), would be in the category
of a milchemet mitzvah (or War of Obligation) where we are required to engage in
battle and defend our sovereignty and survival. Interestingly enough, the
Ammonites and Moabites that were descendants of the son of Lot (Abraham’s
nephew) or the Edomites who are descendants of Esau (Jacob’s twin brother) are
not slated for dislocation or destruction. We differentiate between those who
are our historical brothers and sisters and have the potential to live in peace
with us from those that are an absolute and enduring threat to our very
existence.
In this last con ict between Israel and Gaza, we not only saw the vicious rocket
attacks by Hamas on innocent civilians, but also saw Israeli Arabs rise up inside
Israeli cities and revert to terrorism, attacking Jews, destroying property, and
even desecrating and burning down synagogues. Some would say this threat
from within is perhaps one of the most dangerous threats to Israel, since it
creates the possibility for civil war or a fourth dimension of dangerous attack
against Israel, this one from within (the others being from land, air, and sea
from the outside). Like a cancer inside the body, this can be a signi cant threat
to Israel’s unity, sovereignty, and ability to function.
not establish a covenant with them, and you shall not show them favor…
because he will divert your son from following Me…”
You shall expunge the memory of Amalek from under the Heavens.”
“

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andy Blumenthal is a business and technology leader who writes frequently about Jewish life,
culture, and security. All opinions are his own.
In this week’s Torah portion, Naso, we learn about the laws of the Nazirite (or
someone consecrated to G-d) who doesn’t cut their hair or drink wine. One of
the most famous Nazirs was Samson, who represented the duality of this
relationship with Israel’s enemy the Philistines. Motivated by his passions,
Samson married a Philistine woman from Timnah, and later, also fell in love
with another, Delilah, who betrayed him to the Philistines. At the same time,
Samson fought heroically to kill the Philistine enemies of Israel and even
eventually brought their Temple down on their heads as he was tied to the
pillars of it in one last act of heroism and strength from G-d Almighty.
Interestingly, Samson both loved and fought the Philistines.
In summary, with regards to Israel, we must follow two important
commandments that guide our relationships with the outside world. First, there
is the imperative to love our neighbor and the stranger. Second is the dictum to
wholly defend ourselves from our enemies who seek our destruction. While on
the surface these may pose a contradiction, in reality, they do not, because if
our neighbors and the strangers among us are willing to live in genuine peace
with us then we gladly and actively will extend the olive branch in peace and
brotherhood. But if unfortunately, our neighbors are bent on our genocide then
we must ght them. Love and peace is always what we want from the bottom of
our hearts, but war is a necessity that is sometimes thrust upon us by our
enemies and that we must absolutely, with G-d’s help, win.