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Judaism and the Iraq War

The Jerusalem Post reports that Agudah has issued a statement supporting the Bush Administration's policy in Iraq, and criticizing the Reform movement's opposition to the Iraq war. The report states that according to Agudah, the Reform position "is neither a legitimate expression of halachic Judaism nor reflective of authentic Jewish values."

Agudah is right about that, but then neither is Agudah's support for the Iraq war reflective of either halacha or "authentic Jewish values."

This is a political issue, not a religious one. Individuals can and should form their own view about Iraq and other divisive matters, without being told by their rabbis - regardless of whether those rabbis are Orthodox or Reform - what their opinion should be.

Of course, this observant Jew is on record as being opposed to the continued occupation of Iraq, because I believe that our efforts, while well intentioned, have completely and irreparably failed, that there is no national interest in maintaining an occupation force that stands in middle of a brutal civil war, and that it is immoral to continue to send soldiers to die and suffer wounds in light of such failure and lack of national interest.

I do not purport to base my position on halacha or on "Jewish values," and nor should Agudah or the Reform movement.
posted on 4/02/2007