A favorite question by detractors of Zionism since the early pioneers first began planning the Jewish state—one that has been repeated over the years, especially in times of war—is whether maintaining Jewish control over Israel is justified if it requires violating Jewish values.
In almost every conflict Israel has faced, the question of balancing security and Jewish values has been posed by its critics whenever the nation has taken a strong hand against its enemies. Implicit in the question is an assumption and accusation that when Israel takes a strong hand against its enemies, it is violating Jewish values.
Ensuring that Israel is governed by Jewish values has been a bipartisan ideal among Zionists. In a 1950 speech to the Knesset, Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, stressed the importance of keeping Jewish values. He said that “Israel must be a light unto the nations, a state that upholds justice, equality and the moral teachings of our prophets.”
In a similar vein, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi of England and a prominent Religious Zionist scholar, wrote: “Only in Israel can Jews construct a society according to their values, with freedom, justice and the sanctity of life at its core.”
The emphasis on Jewish values has led Israel to give unprecedented aid to its enemies. It helped facilitate the evacuation of sick children from Gaza to the United Kingdom. It facilitated the delivery of medical assistance into Gaza, and now, with the United States, has enabled the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to distribute needed food supplies.
While Jewish values such as compassion, righteousness and justice have been the foundation of any society Jews have hoped to build, security and defense are important priorities, too. If the Jewish community isn’t secure, then it will never be able to build a society built on its values.
Early and recent Zionist leaders never saw a contradiction between building a secure society and a society built on Jewish values. In an interview with journalists, former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir once said, “We will defend our people with all our might, but we must never forget our Jewish heart—compassion and peace are our ultimate strength.” In his address to the 1937 Zionist Congress, Chaim Weizmann, who in later years served as president of Israel, said: “Our homeland’s safety depends on strength, but its soul depends on living the values of our heritage—justice, freedom and respect for all.”
Israel has never and will never stop placing a premium on Jewish values. The nation has fulfilled the charges of Weizmann and Meir, building a just and moral society while ensuring Israel’s security.
Yet Israel’s critics accuse it of abandoning its loyalty to Jewish values not only in warfare, but in its regular day-to-day security procedures. Israel’s checkpoints, its racial profiling at security stations, and its refusal to allow Palestinians to work in Israel since Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, have all faced scrutiny and criticism for contravening Jewish values. These critics refuse to recognize Israel’s legitimate security threats and Israel’s successful efforts at building a just and secure society. They would prefer to rely on the enemy’s talking points then the strong evidence shown by the Israel Defense Forces and others about their behavior on the battlefield.
In a March 2024 Newsweek column, John Spencer, head of the Urban Warfare Institute at West Point, said of Israel’s keeping to Jewish values of morality in the current Gaza war: “In my long career studying and advising on urban warfare for the U.S. military, I’ve never known an army to take such measures to attend to the enemy’s civilian population, especially while simultaneously combating the enemy in the very same buildings.”
Former commander of the British Army in Afghanistan Richard Kemp also praised Israel, writing, “As long as Hamas retains control over Gaza and access to weapons from sponsors like Iran, it will continue to pose a severe threat to Israel’s existence.”
Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has also spoken out about Israel’s sacred duty to ensure that the horrors of Oct. 7, 2023, are never repeated, saying that it must strengthen its intelligence, secure its border and eliminate the threat of Hamas.
To attain these goals, Israel can’t simply act as police officers arresting the Oct. 7 attackers. It must act with tremendous force and power to overwhelm its enemies. This will rouse the usual voices of those who are uncomfortable with Jewish power and who will accuse Israel of violating its commitment to Jewish values.
However, their disapproval of Israel’s defense policies reflects ignorance more than concern with Jewish values. It is easy to claim there needs to be more emphasis placed on values than security when the details of securing a nation are beyond the claimant’s familiarity.
Zionists must prioritize Israel’s defense and its commitment to Jewish values. Israel cannot be distracted or held back by detractors who falsely accuse it of violating its values or who erroneously assume that strength and values are contradictory priorities that are mutually exclusive.
Former President Jimmy Carter, a strong critic of Israel, said it best when he characterized Israel as a secure and moral nation. “Our role in supporting Israel honors our own heritage of justice and freedom, as Israel stands as a beacon of democracy in a troubled region,” Carter said. “The United States will continue to help Israel provide for her security, ensuring that its moral and just society endures.”