Self-defense cannot be a blank check
Bill Maher is right that Israelis deserve safety and that the Hamas atrocities of October 7 were horrific. But security cannot become a moral license to destroy another people’s homes, freedom and future.
Palestinian suffering did not begin on October 7. In 1948, approximately 750,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homes. Decades of occupation, blockade, settlement expansion, displacement and repeated warfare followed. To understand October 7 honestly, we must remember this history without excusing Hamas’s crimes.
Maher should also listen to the moral traditions he so often challenges. The Ten Commandments teach, “You shall not murder” and “You shall not covet.” Jesus taught love of neighbor and blessed the peacemakers. Guru Nanak taught the equality and dignity of humanity. The Prophet Muhammad taught mercy and condemned injustice.
These principles do not belong exclusively to one religion. They belong to humanity.
The question is not whether Israeli or Palestinian lives matter. Both do. The moral test is whether we can defend one people’s security without denying another people’s humanity.
Israelis deserve safety. Palestinians deserve safety, freedom, dignity and a homeland where they can flourish.
That is the minimum demand of conscience.
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