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Letter: A responsibility to oppose evil

Letter: A responsibility to oppose evil

I understand that not everything is black or white. People are certainly entitled to their diverse opinions.

But those situations that have a moral or ethical dimension to them compel a choice and require a definitive response on the part of all people of goodwill and certainly people of faith. These do not reasonably leave room for differing opinions, and certainly not where innocent people are made victims.  To victimize the innocent is evil. Silence in the face of evil is complicity.

The Oct. 6 actions of Hamas, victimizing 1,850 innocent Israelis and their families, were evil. Hamas holding hostages and using innocent people as shields is evil.

The slaughter of 45,000 innocent Palestinian men, women and children is evil. Making 17,000 Palestinian children orphans is evil. Inflicting permanent disabilities on 95,000 unarmed civilians is evil. Starving millions of innocent people is evil. Bombing hospitals and eliminating critical healthcare is evil.

The end, no matter how well-intentioned, well-meaning, or even noble, does not justify any means.  The Zionism of Benjamin Netanyahu would appear to be an equivalent of so-called Christian nationalism and is just as evil. Supplying weapons that sustain and support evil is itself evil.

When something is evil, human beings have a responsibility to name it and to oppose it.

We have an ethical and moral responsibility to use our voice and whatever leverage we can muster to demand an immediate cease-fire, the end of militarized support, and the committed implementation of a two-state solution.

— Rev. Frank J. Alagna

Kingston

The writer is rector emeritus at  Holy Cross/ Santa Cruz Episcopal Church in Kingston.

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