I generally affirm the principle that stories are more powerful than statistics. But a recent report by the Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, reminded me that sometimes data can be an important to better understanding the situation:
In the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians (29.9.2000 to 26.9.2010)
Israeli security forces killed 6371 Palestinians, of whom 1317 were minors. At least 2996 of the fatalities did not participate in the hostilities when killed. 2193 were killed while participating in the hostilities. For 694, B’Tselem does not know whether they participated in the hostilities or not. …
Palestinians killed 1083 Israelis in Israel and the Occupied Territories. 741 of the fatalities were civilians, of whom 124 were minors, and 342 were members of the security forces.
These statistics are occasionally summarized in the final sentences of an AP or Reuters article, but these hard facts rarely penetrate the popular myth of a symmetrical eye-for-eye cycle of violence in the Holy Land. The reality is far more extreme. As a more specific example, take Rev. Awad’s testimony during Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in 2009 [emphasis added]:
Most people agree that Israel, like any other country, has the right to defend itself from outside attacks. However in this unequal conflict … Israel, as usual, has overdone it. When it comes to dealing with its enemies, Israel has a pattern of being extreme. “An eye for an eye” does not satisfy. It has to be more like one hundred eyes for one eye and one hundred teeth for one tooth.
B’Tselem’s statistics for the Gaza bombardment prove that such statements are no exaggeration. In just three weeks, nearly 1,400 Palestinians killed; 13 Israelis killed. Four of the 13 were Israeli soldiers killed by “friendly fire” from their own troops. Only three of the Israelis were civilians killed by Hamas rockets.
But It’s important to note that in the broader conflict over the last 10 years, most of the people killed–by both Palestinian militants and the Israeli military–have been civilians. Yet as Christians, we contend that every life is sacred, every human being is created in the image of God, and that all violence is the result of sin–regardless of the politics of the sinner.
We must also remind all Christians that for Jesus, even the “balanced” approach of an eye for an eye was not good enough. Instead we are commanded to confront injustice with active nonviolence. Turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, giving the coat as well as the shirt–these were all ways of confronting and shaming the aggressor without accepting injustice. That’s why I’m so encouraged by the growing nonviolence movement in Palestine, which includes participation by many Israeli and international activists.
Several Palestinian activists I’ve spoken with hope that if people in other countries only became aware of what was really happening here, that they would be outraged. Tragically, I fear that even faced with such devastating data, uncritical Christian supporters of Israel may shrug and assume that Palestinians are getting what they deserve–either because they assume them all to be terrorists, or because they confuse the modern State of Israel with the ancient people of Israel that the Hebrew scriptures describe wiping out the inhabitants of the land with divine approval.
While such dangerous and misguided assumptions may at first leave us speechless, we must be quick to remind fellow Christians of the teachings of the Jesus that mandate love for enemies and blessings for peacemakers. We must be bold in proclaiming the biblical vision in Revelation–and reclaiming it from exclusive and escapist distortions–of “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,” worshipping a slain Lamb whose weapon is the sword (word) of his mouth (Revelation 19:15)–a symbol of truth, not violence (Hebrews 4:12). And according to the Apostle Paul,
Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
This is the “war” we must wage against “every thought” that sanctions slaughter in the name of God. As Western Christians, we must start by opposing our own institutions’ role in such bloodshed–whether by theological complicity or military aid–while consistently rejecting all other forms of violence, and above all, affirming of the sacredness of every life lost.
