Atrocities in Syria: Standing in Solidarity with the Victims!

We are all painfully aware of the genocides of the last two decades in Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur, and we have watched the ongoing violence and suffering taking place across the Middle East, but did you know that there is an urgent human rights crisis in Syria right now that demands our attention? 

” target=”_blank”>The apparent defection of the Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman, who had previously denied Syria was considering the use of poison gas, only adds cause for concern. While warnings by U.S. officials that Syrian use of poison gas would prompt military intervention are helpful, by then, it might already be tens of thousands of deaths too late.

As American Jews, we know all too well the costs of U.S. inaction in the face of mass atrocity. Our sacred texts teach us, “Do not idle while your fellow bleeds.” Ever since the Assad regime began continuous artillery bombardments on population centers in the February 2012 siege of Homs, the Syrian people have been pleading for American intervention (provision of heavy weapons and/or a no-fly zone) to stop the bloodshed; they have held numerous mass protests with titles such as “The people want arming of the Free Army” and “America, have we not bled enough?” asking for American help to end the regime-sponsored bloodshed.

The situation in Syria is immensely complex, and there are risks to a stronger American response that should be carefully considered and accounted for. Perhaps individuals hostile to the U.S. will replace the regime; perhaps rebel groups will carry out reprisal attacks and carry on their own genocide; perhaps this is a regional crisis too messy for the U.S. to wade into. Yet these same risks were present during the genocides in Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur, and the humanitarian argument won out. When do we decide that the civilian death toll is too high for us to remain on the sidelines? When do we appreciate that the very sanctity of human life, and the Torah's affirmation “B'Tzelem Elokim Bera Otam” — Hashem created humankind in the Divine image– demands that we respond to protect civilians from mass slaughter, even if it involves sacrifice on our part? In June, Holocaust survivor and famed author and scholar Elie Wiesel lamented of the Syria crisis, “the so-called civilized world” target=”_blank”>petition and asking for U.S. action to end the violence, and joining us at our vigils and rallies to support the victims. May justice prevail!

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz is the Founder and President of ” target=”_blank”>Jewish Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century.” Newsweek named Rav Shmuly