The verse “eye for eye, tooth for tooth » found in the Torah cannot be interpreted literally. According to the Talmud, it means that any damage must be compensated fairly. Compensation may be material, the principle being that whenever it is impossible to restore what has been lost, the remedy must be at the level of the harm.
“Eye for eye, tooth for tooth » is not synonymous of revenge. It is a penalty that equals the crime and its consequences. It does not confine itself to the wrongdoing, but also takes into account its scope, the underlying intention, the risk of recurrence and the collateral damage.
This should apply to Hamas, which has just crossed a red line.
A bus carrying children along the border between Israel and Gaza has been destroyed by an antitank rocket fired by terrorists who knowingly targeted it. This kind of bus is perfectly identifiable in Israel through its yellow color and other symbols indicating the presence of children.
Most children left the bus at the previous stop, so much so that it was almost empty at the time of the crime, but nevertheless a teenager is in critical condition and several others are injured. However, it would be mistaken to believe that this sums up the incident. One must also take into account that hundreds of thousands of peaceful citizens of southern Israel will hit the road in fear in the coming days. That economic life will be disrupted. That children will be unable attend school. Moreover, that southern Israel is now under tension because Hamas has resumed firing rockets at random.
Israel will have to respond proportionately. This means that the State is compelled to meet its commitment to protect its population and do the utmost to allow for a return to normality. A proportionate response from Israel is a response that has the effect of bringing about the Hamas to put an end to its shelling. No one is able measure what this may amount to in terms of human lives and material devastation, but it is for Israel, and for Israel alone to decide what action needs to be undertaken.
Meanwhile, Judge Goldstone and his forty liars can now begin to draft their report on what is likely to unfold, because they have demonstrated they cannot be bothered with reality on the ground anyway.
Moreover, it seems that the sponsor of the report, the UN Commission on Human Rights, has failed to include the rights of Jews in its articles.
Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.