Prof Paul John Isaak
The world is shocked and dismayed by the latest developments in Israel and Palestine. In the words of French President Emmanuel Macron, “Israel must stop killing babies and women in Gaza” because there is "no justification" for such bombing and killing.
After a month of Israeli bombardment and nearly two weeks after Israel launched a major ground offensive into the Gaza territory, 11 000 people had been killed, while 1.5 million had fled their homes. Furthermore, in its desire for revenge, Israel is engaging in the mass killing of innocent civilians, largely children. Israel claims it is not targeting civilians. But what does such a claim mean when Israel is conducting such a fierce bombing of an urban area as dense as Gaza? This hardly constitutes a justification for Israel’s mass killing of innocents. Likewise, the vast
difference in military power between Israel and Palestine makes it highly unlikely for Hamas or Palestinians to pose an existential threat to Israel. To put it slightly different, the situation we are seeing in Gaza is no longer of a humanitarian catastrophe—it is a collective death sentence.
For example, at Al-Shifa Hospital (The Arabic word, Al-Shifa means “house of healing”), the largest medical complex in Gaza – there’s far too much death caused by military operations at the house of healing—hospital. Foetuses were pulled from the wombs of dying mothers, children with crushed lungs struggling to breathe,
and medical doctors, nurses and emergency medical technicians– transported to the hospital morgue in body bags. In short, the house of life has become the house of death.
Differently expressed, there is no justification for acts of war in healthcare facilities, leaving sick people with no oxygen, ventilators, electricity, food and water, and shooting at patients and civilians trying to flee. This is unconscionable and reprehensible, and must stop because such military actions amount to a death sentence. And they are dying of completely treatable challenges. Therefore, I submit the following action: Implement a permanent ceasefire, save lives, and build inclusive peace, based on a two-state solution in the framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian war. At this moment in Palestine and Israel, we are facing the moment of truth to act out the fundamental human values: life, humanity and peace. Let me explicate. Life has equal importance and dignity for all human beings. Its profound respect is the foundation of human civilisation. The existence of law-enforcement systems and legal armed forces is to protect life, and all lives, not to destroy it. The Geneva Conventions in Articles 13 and 32 affirm that: “Civilians are to be protected from murder, torture or brutality, and from discrimination on the basis of race, nationality, religion or political opinion”.
In other words, have respect for all life, and you shall not kill. As expressed by Hans Küng in the book, ‘Towards a Global Ethic’, “all people have a right to life, safety and the free development of personality insofar as they do not injure the rights of others. No one has the
right physically or psychically to torture, injure, much less kill any other human being. And no people, no state, no race, no religion has the right to hate, to discriminate against, to “cleanse”, and to “exile”. In short, our humanity is rooted in the fundamental value of life, which allows it to flourish, and without life, it risks death/war/genocide. The second fundamental human value is humanity, or every human being must be treated humanely. In the African context, we use the word Ubuntu, which broadens our understanding
to be a human being with basic
forms of humanity, namely “I am as Thou art, and Thou art as I am” or “A person is a person through other persons”.
In other words, my humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours. A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others and to empower them or provide humanitarian or health services, affirming others as God’s children, and does not see the other as an enemy, but as a brother, a sister, a comrade, or being an integral part of co-humanity in the house of
harmony, comradeship and friendliness. As aptly expressed in The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights in Article 1 “All human beings are born free and equal in
dignity and rights. They should act towards one another in a spirit of brother/sisterhood”. The third fundamental human value is peace. Peace is grounded in social trust, just laws, and regulated international relations. Peace is the path to stability, security and sustainable development. Violence and terror cannot generate other than further conflicts and suffering. Thus, the purpose of the United Nations, as stated in its Charter, Article 1, is “to maintain international peace and security, and to that end to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace.” These three fundamental values of life, humanity and peace are dangerously challenged by the current war in the Middle East, and the other open conflicts. They lead to
unbearable losses and suffering, growing instability, and global fragility. Therefore, we have to renew the international commitments to life, affirmation to Ubuntu, and acting out the principles of peaceful coexistence.
Today, we are mourning and crying our indignation, in solidarity with the families of all victims and those who are terrorised by the war and its possible consequences on their lives and their beloved ones. However, we cannot despair, as we continue to be committed to our core values of life, humanity and peace. The time now is for courageous engagement and responsible leadership. In a global world, we can all be complicit in this situation. We shall all take steps in the case of Palestine and Israel to uncompromisingly saying now is the time for a permanent ceasefire and
not “pauses”; now is the time to save lives, and now is the time to build inclusive peace, based on a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel.
Finally, such fundamental human values are much-needed for the post-war healing and reconciliation process, leading in the long term to replace hatred and fear by mutual trust and common engagement. Therefore, start today to stop wars, save lives, and build inclusive peace based on the three fundamental human values.
* Prof Paul John Isaak is a retired professor in Religion, Philosophy and Social Ethics from the University of Namibia and Paulinum Theology Seminary in Namibia.