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MembersThe misunderstanding of loving one’s enemies

Few biblical commandments are quoted so often and yet understood so little as the command to love one’s enemies.

Aviel Schneider
Jul 5, 2026 at 1:40 pm
2 Min Read
| Topics: Bible
Exactly ten years ago, the case of a young Israeli soldier made headlines. Elor Azaria had shot an already neutralized attacker in Hebron and was subsequently put on trial. Many Israelis found this difficult to understand, since the attacker had previously stabbed an Israeli soldier. Others argued that while self-defense was justified, it was wrong to kill someone who no longer posed a threat. Azaria was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison, a further 12 months’ suspended sentence, and a reduction in rank. Photo: Flash90
Exactly ten years ago, the case of a young Israeli soldier made headlines. Elor Azaria had shot an already neutralized attacker in Hebron and was subsequently put on trial. Many Israelis found this difficult to understand, since the attacker had previously stabbed an Israeli soldier. Others argued that while self-defense was justified, it was wrong to kill someone who no longer posed a threat. Azaria was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison, a further 12 months’ suspended sentence, and a reduction in rank. Photo: Flash90

In churches, the concept sounds noble; in political debates, morally superior. But at Israel’s borders, under rocket fire, terrorist attacks, and hostage-taking, the question becomes brutally concrete: Does loving one’s enemies mean remaining defenseless? Must a people love those who seek its destruction? Or does the Bible mean something deeper—humanity without self-abandonment, mercy without naivety, dignity without surrender?

Between the words of Jesus and the responsibilities of statehood, between moral preaching and the struggle for survival, lies a tension that many in the West find difficult to understand. Loving one’s enemies sounds simple as long as the enemy is far away. It becomes complicated when he stands at your door.

Many speak about loving their enemies, but few know what it means to truly love an enemy. Even fewer are willing to bear the cost.

In the New Testament, Matthew 5 states unmistakably: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Earlier, the Torah says in Leviticus 19: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

What connects these two commandments?...

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