The conflict in and around Israel risks further escalation. Since last fall, Israel’s government has prosecuted an intense response to the vicious attacks perpetrated by Hamas from its base of operations in Gaza. Now, we are seeing additional, open conflict between Israel and Hezbollah after the brilliant and effective detonation of Hezbollah members’ electronic devices.

As these battles continue and perhaps expand, Americans must continue to assess the justice and prudence of our siding with Israel. This point certainly includes the kind of support we should give to them, if any. But underneath that question rests another, even deeper one: Is Israel, in the main, just in its actions?

Protests on campuses have called our alliance with Israel evil, even genocidal. In light of this debate and the possible expansion of hostilities, we should consider anew the reasons for seeing Israel as a just ally.

Some arguments should not play much of a part in this assessment. Some American Christians see our own country as a new Israel, the new people of God with a theological obligation to protect the Jewish people as well. This reading of the Bible has serious flaws that push against it as a viable reason for supporting Israel. In fact, Christians exist in Gaza of Arab descent. If our foreign policy were to be based on propagating Christianity, what obligation would we have to them?

There also is the question of whether such a theologically focused view, even if true, should determine a nation’s foreign policy at all. For Christians, the state has obligations to God. But how exactly those play out in foreign policy needs to be discussed in fuller ways than this argument.

But other claims do exist for siding with Israel. A fundamental principle of international relations should be that states can seek their own self-preservation. This principle is deeply imbedded in the law of nations going back centuries. It extends from the even more basic right of persons to protect their own right to life.

That point is especially true here. The survival of Israel as a state includes the survival of its citizens as human beings. The forces that attacked on Oct. 7, 2023, and continue to attack Israel seek nothing less than the utter annihilation of all Jews.

Compounding this point, this desire is not a new thing. The evil of last October continues a long string of horrific actions against Jews across time and across the world, from ancient Egypt to czarist Russia to Nazi Germany. Israel has many who wish for its extinction, not just as a nation, but as a people. Americans cannot seek to stop all evil in the world, even all genocides. But if ever an instance called on our support against such destruction, it would be on behalf of the Jewish people.

In addition, the distinctions in tactics between combatants are clear for any willing to see it. Innocent people have died on both sides. That is a tragedy, whoever the victims might be. But targeting of civilians, the brutal murder of children, the use of rape against women as a weapon of hatred and fear — these mark the efforts of Israel’s foes, not of them.

We can and should debate the exact form our support should take. We must seek justice but also not sacrifice our obligations to our own people and our own national interests. No one should contemplate, for instance, America fully entering a war between Israel and terrorist groups and their nation-state supporters. Whether the aid should be our current one of arms and intelligence or be more limited is a serious question.

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Nor should we think Israel incapable of wrong. Many claims of Israel’s supposed war crimes have been spurious and blind to the actions of their opponents. Yet no one has a blank check, morally speaking. We should take seriously claims of violations. But the difference in these moral questions between the combatants remains stark.

So, let us not waver on the moral question of Israel’s justice in pursuing its own safety and its own survival. We would do no less for ourselves. At least, I hope we would.

Adam Carrington is an associate professor at Ashland University.