Just a week ago, IDF soldiers engaged in a daring rescue mission to save four hostages who had been held in Gaza for over eight months. The details of the mission read like a dramatic spy novel. Images of hostages reuniting with family members moved so many of us to tears.
But in the hours following the rescue, news reports began to emphasize not the new freedom of hostages but rather, the toll of the Israeli action on innocent Gazans. Nowhere in these reports was there discussion of Hamas’ deliberate hiding of hostages in the densest parts of Gaza. Nowhere in these reports and articles was there mention of Hamas’ responsibility for its own citizens’ deaths. Instead, as has happened time and again throughout this war, Israel was chastised for its very will to save lives.
Over the course of the last eight months, the state of Israel has faced immense international criticism for pretty much everything it does. Lost in all of the negative rhetoric has been an understanding of Israel’s unique dedication to protect human souls, a will to save lives which reflects a Jewish value known as pikuach nefesh (literally meaning to save a life)
Pikuach nefesh guides so many aspects of the Israeli ethos – from Israel’s medical field to its technology and innovation sectors, from Israel’s social services to its defense forces, the saving of lives is a constant guiding principle. On October 7th, ordinary citizens took this principle into their own hands–literally becoming heroes to save countless lives. And last Saturday, this principle guided the inspiring rescue of hostages.
Israelis do not only practice pikuach nefesh for their own citizens. Israel is actively involved on the international scene in saving lives, constantly sending teams to disaster zones and developing technology to better meet the needs of those in crisis. Israel’s military is regularly seeking ways to defend the innocent and to reduce the number of civilians killed in combat.
Israel’s governments have made mistakes, sometimes grave ones. But Israel has constantly come to terms with these errors – commissions have held important investigations while Israel’s historians have sought to uncover truths. Israel has long had an introspective attitude toward everything it does — seeking ways to better itself and to promote Jewish values. Sometimes, this has meant hard looks in the mirror.
Through it all, the principle of pikuach nefesh, of saving and protecting lives, lies at the very heart of what Israel strives to be.
We can and should be critical of Israel’s policies and actions – but let us not lose sight of what Israel strives to be and the principles it is founded on. Israelis has a strong will to save lives, to protect and to cherish human life.
Today, this value is alive in Israel. Even in the midst of this existential war, the will to save lives continues to guide everything that Israelis do.