An Eye for an Eye in Gaza

The death toll in Gaza is more than 1300. 13 Israelis were killed in the same period, and four of those were due to friendly fire. I don't often find it helpful to play the numbers game, because each person killed is a precious child of God; a divine spark which we have worked to destroy. But a kill ratio of 100 to 1? Something is deeply out of line here.

I remember learning at some point that the Hebrew Bible's line about repaying "an eye for an eye" was very progressive for its time, giving the Israelites a moral standard that set them apart from the nations around. I assumed that this kind of restraint was no longer needed in this day and time. Apparently I was wrong.

And I am appalled at those who continue to defend Israel's actions in Gaza on religious grounds. Biblically speaking, in the most literal sense, the equitable sense of an eye for an eye has been tossed out the window in favor of a narrow tribal brutality.