Israel Has A Moral Imperative to Defend Itself

The following article was intended as a letter response to a piece published in the Sunday Times. The Sunday Times did not respond to queries for publication. To ensure that the contents of the letter are not wasted, it has been published here.

Zane Dangor’s call for South Africa to prioritise “dignity and equality” of all people in its foreign policy is morally correct, but his views on Israel, Palestine and the West in general betray a biased hypocrisy (Why South Africa’s global role must centre on peace and rights, 11 August 2024).

Dangor accuses the West of supporting Israel’s violence in Gaza but makes no mention or condemnation of Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on October 7^th, or the repeated terror attacks, invasions, and violence perpetrated against the Jewish state since its inception. Or the violence that was performed against the Jewish people prior to Israel’s independence.

Dangor condemns Israel for its retaliatory war against Hamas, but does not condemn the violence that led to such a conflict. Unfortunately, it seems that Dangor is incredibly naïve about the realities of not just Israel and Palestine, but war and politics in general.

Realism, a method of analysing the behaviour of nations in global politics, is not a “celebration” of conflict, as Dangor argues, but an acknowledgement of the harsh realities of life. As soon as there is a thug using violence to get what they want, good people have to use violence to stop them.

Israel was attacked by brutal terrorists who proceeded to commit mass rape and slaughter on October 7^th. There is no decolonial narrative that can justify such heinous acts. Hamas started this war and has sabotaged every attempt to attain a lasting truce.

Israel has a moral imperative to punish Hamas for its acts to disincentivise further acts of violence, and to bring justice to the innocents that were killed.

If South Africa wants to be truly moral, it needs to pick sides. And the side it should pick is the modern, liberal state that stands against thugs and terrorism.