Ethics and Fighting Terrorism
The War Against Evil and Ethical Constraints
Saul J. Berman
Jewish law knows only two categories of war – those mandated by Torah and those that are discretionary, able to be initiated under the joint authority of King and Sanhedrin. There is no category such as “Holy War” in Jewish thought because the taking of human life, while under limited circumstances permissible and [...]
This War Is About Religion and Cannot Be Won Without It
Marc Gopin
The sooner we face facts, the more powerful our chances to succeed in making religious terrorism a temporary phenomenon of human culture. But we cannot do this if we hide our heads in the sand. Politically incorrect or not, this war is about religion. Anyone who thinks it is not about religion should take [...]
This War Is About Religion and Cannot Be Won Without It Our Own House Needs Order
Reuven Firestone
A couple of years ago I proudly showed my new book, Jihad: The Origin of Holy War in Islam, to a Muslim colleague of mine, trained with a Ph.D. in an American university, and now the head of the Department of Contemporary Islamic Studies at al-Quds University in Jerusalem. He took one look at [...]
In Judaism There Are Always Rules
Dov S. Zakheim
For the first time in living memory, Jewish Americans, like their non-Jewish counter-parts, have been victimized by terrorism in their own backyards. Their experience is hardly a novelty to Israelis, for whom terrorist attacks on civilians sadly have become a daily occurrence. Nor is it a new experience for Jews in general. Jews [...]
Understanding the Power of Words of War
Dawn Rose
“The evil ones have declared war on us and our way of life. They hate freedom and democ-racy. We’re going to smoke ‘em out of their caves.” The White House’s verbal portrait of the events of September 11 has been frightfully effective, resulting in a quick and positive response from Congress and the American [...]
