Death Penalty

Death Penalty

Dear Editor:

I see that Catholic and Jewish leaders have launched a national crusade against the death penalty. I am just wondering if the Jewish Community is prepared to say that it was wrong for the State of Israel to execute Adolph Eichmann or to bomb the Islamic militants in southern Lebanon to oblivion? That punishment was surely of a capital sort.

It is the Torah that contains the will of God concerning capital punishment. In Genesis, Moses recorded, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man" (Genesis 9:6). In Numbers 35:16 he commands, "The murder shall surely be put to death."

It is strange to me how much sympathy some folks can find for convicted murderers, kidnappers and terrorists. If we could only have that much concern for the innocent victims of the violent criminals ours would truly be a better place in which to live.

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