As the fighting between Israel and Palestine continue to escalate, contemporary philosopher Sam Harris weighs the moral stance of both sides, saying that the reason he doesn't criticize Israel is because he believes Israel is not the "primary aggressor" in the conflict but rather, is simply a respondent in the aggression.

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In his latest piece, "Why Don't I Criticize Israel," Harris acknowledged that Israel has committed its fair share of crimes. He also recognized the suffering of Palestinians who have been under occupation for decades.

However, he argued that his decision to side with Israel lies in his assessment of the reason behind its actions.

While Israel built shelters for the protection of its citizens, Palestine had built tunnels so it could infiltrate its enemy's territory, kidnap civilians and carry out attacks. Given this premise, Harris questioned whether it was justifiable that Israel be blamed for wanting to defend and protect its citizens.

For years, the world has condemned Israel for its crimes. But Harris notes that the condemnation has been "completely out of proportion" to what it has actually done. He said that Israel has shown more restraint in their fight against Palestine compared to the Western nations in their own wars.

Insofar as the Israeli government has committed grave crimes, they have only been done in an effort to defend its "territory as a Jewish state," he said.

Ultimately, he believes that the moral difference between the two sides would be answered by a simple question - if either of them were given the upper hand, what would they do?

Harris believes Israel would choose to co-exist peacefully with its neighbors, provided that its neighbors also co-existed peacefully with them.

On the other hand, Palestine, which has already told the world of its intentions, would most likely kill all the Israelis, he said.

Even though not all Palestinians support genocide, a considerable number of them - including other Muslims worldwide - would.

He cited the ISIS, al-Qaeda and the Hamas, saying that these Muslim groups aimed to impose its religious beliefs on others, disregarding their freedom to choose for their own.

TagsSam Harris, Why Don't I Criticize Israel, Israel, Palestine, Jews, Muslims