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Judaism teaches that war is sometimes necessary in self-defence and in order to bring about peace. It may therefore be justified.

The Old Testament

Peace is mentioned in the Tenakh. Although the Tenakh praises the brave warrior who fights in a holy or a Just War believed to be supported by God, it also refers to nations coming together in harmony:

The book of Ecclesiastes gives a clear message on the subject of war and peace:

This passage suggests that it seems that war is still sometimes inevitable. This may be particularly the case if a group or a nation needs to take action to defend itself or if it is about to be attacked.

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments, set out in the Hebrew Bible, are believed to have been given to Moses by God. These commandments are supposed to create peace and harmony among humankind. One of the Commandments is:

If this commandment was obeyed, war would be very difficult. For this reason, some Jews may be conscientious objectors. A conscientious objector is a person who refuses to fight in wars, because of strong personal beliefs against war. Others may be pacifists, which means they believe that war and violence are completely unjustifiable.

When is war acceptable?

Judaism teaches that war should be avoided at all costs but it is understood that sometimes war may be the only way to resolve problems and bring peace, when all other attempts have failed. It may be that a strike is necessary to prevent the enemy from striking first. This is known as a pre-emptive war.

In cases of self-defence, the belief is that war is acceptable, for example if a victim is under attack and they need to defend themselves. The Talmud states that it is morally acceptable to kill to save your own life.

Preserving life

Judaism teaches that humans must not destroy life but preserve it. God created life, and life therefore belongs to God. Only God can take away life, not humans. To take life is a sin and is against God's will.

In Genesis, the first book of the Torah, it is explained that God created the world for humankind. War kills and destroys what God has made and, as stewards of Creation, Jews have a duty to protect and care for everything that has been created, including humans, nature, and the planet.