The Moral Face of Conflict by Robert Socha

“The nation is like a mighty lion;
When it is sleeping, no one dares wake it.
Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed,
And whoever curses Israel will be cursed.”
Numbers 24:9 KJV

Moral relativism is on the decline. The advent of an administration that doesn’t cower in the face of twisted narratives and manipulated questions from the press is effectively changing the conversation to reveal the truth publicly. One still must parse the information presented and pray for a spirit of discernment to ensure correct understanding. Still, the Trump/Vance team’s staunch defense of tenable positions and increased media coverage through independent platforms allow us to glean the truth.

Take, for example, the current escalation between Israel and Iran. On the one hand, you have a country that exercises the most incredible restraint in the face of public provocation so vehemently ugly it threatens Israel’s existence. On the other hand, you have a country whose leadership spews vitriolic hatred toward a people, vomiting from Beelzebub’s lips. Israel is precisely targeting military and nuclear targets in Iran. Iran responds by blindly firing into civilian population centers. The responses are not the same.

War is a terrible scourge on the human condition. The hardness of men’s hearts leading to the battlefield is one of life’s worst paradoxes. On the one hand, men want to lead, while on the other hand, they kill men on the battlefield to accomplish this desire. What insolent, ugly pride!

Should the Lord continue to tarry, history will remember, with alacrity, the magnanimous nature modeled by these United States and Israel in exercising great restraint when provoked to use the sword. Alternatively, the historical record will not kindly remember our enemies’ malevolent speeches and actions.

Israel is a staunch ally, and the President should continue to support its efforts through speech and the sale of arms. President Trump has provocatively stated that he is not willing to negotiate. The theatre is ripe with tension. Israel has cancelled all commercial flights to and from the country. Iran has threatened the Straight of Hormuz, where a super-majority of the world’s oil supply passes through. Even Saudi Arabia has entered the fray in Israel’s defense.

I am concerned about the continued use of our military might through executive fiat, without congressional approval. The sending of American soldiers into battle by executive fiat without Congress creates a titillating power that previous administrations have abused for political distractions in the past and could easily escalate to another undeclared war.

Suppose these United States are to be militarily involved with Israel against Iran, in that by declaring military action is permissible through war.

Nevertheless, I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and hope the current conflict culminates with the least possible casualties and a new birth of freedom in Iran.