“If someone comes to kill you, rise and kill him first.”[1] These words come from the Talmud—the record of rabbinic teaching covering Jewish Law and tradition. This sentiment likely sounds extreme to those of us who adhere to Jesus’ instructions to turn the other cheek and do good to those who hate us, but what about when it comes to a nation protecting its citizens and its very existence? This Talmudic quotation recently came from the account of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He tweeted, “In a major operational effort, we have thwarted an attack against Israel by the Iranian Quds Force & Shi’ite militias. I reiterate: Iran has no immunity anywhere. Our forces operate in every sector against the Iranian aggression. ‘If someone rises up to kill you, kill him first.’”[2]

Netanyahu made this statement following Israeli air strikes on an Iranian military compound in Syria. The air assault was triggered by an attempted attack against Israel by pro-Iranian forces using an unmanned drone loaded with explosives. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) claimed that they were able to “confuse” the drone plot, but didn’t bother to explain in what form the confusion took place.[3] The pro-Iranian forces were traced back to an Iranian military installation in Syria, where it was discovered that numerous unmanned drones and Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) advisers had recently been delivered.[4] This compound with its weapons storehouse is no more.

Iran’s verbal response was quick and threatening. “These insane operations will surely be the last steps of the Zionist regime,” tweeted Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian general fingered by the IDF as the mastermind of the planned drone attacks.[5] Iran’s partner in terrorism, Hezbollah, jumped into the verbal fray. Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Lebanese-backed terror group, said, “I say to the Israeli army along the border, from tonight be ready and wait for us. Do not rest, do not be reassured, and do not bet for a single moment that Hezbollah will allow . . . aggression of this kind.”[6]

In the past, whenever Israel struck an enemy target anywhere and for any reason, there would be vehement protesting and condemnation throughout the Arab world. More and more, however, we are seeing the violent rogue regimes of Iran and Syria, along with their minion organizations, receiving the brunt of the region’s ire. In an amazing tweet, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the foreign minister of Bahrain, responded to Iran’s anger: “Iran is the one who has declared a war on us, with its Revolutionary Guards Corps, its Lebanese party [Hezbollah in Lebanon], its Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, its Houthi arm in Yemen and others. . . . So one who strikes and destroys the piles of their ammunition is not to blame. That is self-defense.”[7] In other words, “If someone comes to kill you, rise and kill him first.”

The stress against Israel’s northern border is ramping higher and higher. At the beginning of September, a firefight broke out between the IDF and Hezbollah at the Lebanese border. The terrorist group has been building tunnels to Israel and is in possession of 150,000 rockets. In response, the IDF has restricted their soldiers’ movements in the north and has canceled all weekend leave in the the area.

The August 29 headline on the front page of Israel Hayom, the nation’s largest circulated newspaper, read, “Is Israel on the Verge of an All-out War?”[8] Let’s pray this isn’t the case. Our God is a God of peace, so while we are praying for the peace of Jerusalem, let’s also include Damascus and Tehran and Beirut and the northern border of Israel. He is the doer of the impossible—may he make the impossibility of peace a reality in the Middle East.

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[1] “Sanhedrin 72a.” Sefaria, https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.72a?lang=bi.

[2] Netanyahu, Benjamin. “In a Major Operational Effort, We Have Thwarted an Attack against Israel by the Iranian Quds Force & Shi’ite Militias. I Reiterate: Iran Has No Immunity Anywhere. Our Forces Operate in Every Sector against the Iranian Aggression. ‘If Someone Rises up to Kill You, Kill Him First.’” Twitter, 24 Aug. 2019, https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1165377368220942337?s=21.

[3] Gross, Judah Ari. “IDF Footage Shows pro-Iranian Fighters Trying to Launch Armed Drone at Israel.” The Times of Israel, 25 Aug. 2019, https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-footage-shows-pro-iranian-fighters-trying-to-launch-armed-drone-at-israel/.

[4] Ibid.

[5] TOI Staff. “Top Iranian General Warns Israel That Strikes Will Bring End to ‘Zionist Regime.’” The Times of Israel, 2019, https://www.timesofisrael.com/top-iranian-general-warns-israel-that-strikes-will-bring-end-to-zionist-regime/.

[6] TOI Staff. “Hezbollah No. 2 Threatens Israel with ‘Surprise’ Retaliation in ‘Coming Days.’” The Times of Israel, 28 Aug. 2019, https://www.timesofisrael.com/hezbollah-no-2-threatens-israel-with-surprise-retaliation-in-coming-days/.

[7] TOI Staff. “Appearing to Back Israel, Bahrain Says Strikes on Iran Targets ‘Self Defense.’” The Times of Israel, 26 Aug. 2019, https://www.timesofisrael.com/appearing-to-back-israel-bahrain-says-strikes-on-iran-targets-self-defense/.

[8] Kasnett, Israel. “Is Israel on the Verge of an All-out War?” Israelhayom.com, 29 Aug. 2019, https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/08/29/is-israel-on-the-verge-of-an-all-out-war/.