By Michael Brown, The Stream, October 1, 2024
Dr. Michael Brown is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. He is the author of more than 40 books, including Can You be Gay and Christian?; Our Hands Are Stained With Blood; and Seize the Moment: How to Fuel the Fires of Revival. You can connect with him on Facebook, X, or YouTube.
There is a Talmudic dictum that states, “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first” (b. Sanhedrin 72a). This is part of a discussion of the laws of self-defense, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited it with reference to the targeted killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah over the weekend.
Was this a right and fair application of this Talmudic principle? And did Israel rightfully follow this same principle in the pager attacks on thousands of Hezbollah operatives? Or is Israel engaging in acts of terror?
When it comes to Nasrallah, this was not a matter of “someone coming to kill you.” This was a matter of someone who was already responsible for thousands of deaths, both Israeli and Arab. …