Death Penalty. Ideal Versus Real World View.
To recap, first there was Yitz Greenberg's Jerusalem Post December 22, 2025 article: Death penalty debate: Jewish reverence for life vs Ben-Gvir’s cheapening of life
We countered his "ideal world" and dismissiveness of both Ben-Givir and Rabbi Meir Kahane in our article that ran in the Jerusalem Post on January 13, 2026: Is the death penalty for terrorists proposed by Ben-Gvir 'Jewish'?
On January 18, 2026, the Jerusalem Post printed two articles, on the same page, that rebutted our arguments in a very personal and derogatory attack. One was by Yitz Greenberg "The problem with death penalty for terror" and one by Michael Zoosman "Inciting martyrs and inviting murder".
Here is our reply to Messrs. Greenberg and Zoosman, to both their unrealistic "ideal" world approach and uncivil tone. The the Jerusalem Post has not printed this article of ours:
Itamar Ben-Gvir's new law proposing the death penalty for terrorists who commit murder has sparked a robust debate. While we support this law as necessary for the safety of Israel's citizens, some oppose it.
In previous articles in this paper, Yitz Greenberg and Michael Zoosman, two liberal and woke voices, cite the Rambam (Maimonides) and quote the stringent conditions he demanded to allow an execution to take place. They attempt to convince readers of these pages that the Rambam was against capital punishment, as they are. But alas, they misunderstand Rambam.
Let’s be clear. Rambam never advocated abolishing the death penalty, he simply warned against applying it leniently. He was by no means a member of Zoosman’s L’chayim Jews against the Death Penalty Society. Rambam’s views are as follows: A system that uses it often is destructive, while a system that refuses it absolutely is naïve! [Author’s emphasis.]
The Torah clearly mandates the death penalty for numerous offenses. Limitations set by the Rambam and others are intended only to ensure that its application is rare and meets the strictest criteria for justice. After all, no one wants to execute anyone without first exhausting all criteria (as set by the Rambam) to ensure that the punishment fits the crime. But for some, any execution, even for the most heinous crimes and with irrefutable proof of guilt, is abhorrent. The Rambam calls such notions naïve, as they lead to a breakdown of social order.
The bottom line in this discussion is that the death penalty issue hinges on one’s worldview. Our worldview, based on reality, dictates our support for Minister Ben-Gvir’s proposed law because it aligns with the Torah’s commandment of a life for a life. Ben-Gvir is not alone in his views. The Mossad is also asking to execute these murderers. For those who believe that Moshe Rabbainu received the Torah on Sinai, they do not question the “Jewishness” of this law. For us, the discussion ends there. That is not to say that we don’t believe in doing our ‘due diligence’ in accordance with the dictates of the Rambam.
But not everyone believes as we do. Some Jews are offended by what they consider outdated, perhaps barbaric, ancient laws that the Torah advocates. These laws are not for them and are not in accordance with their progressive politics.
We fear that Messrs. Zoosman and Greenberg are naïve in their worldview. It’s possible to understand such naivete among the liberal woke who sit in the US or Canada, where the harm caused by their unwise positions does not affect them. Israeli society, however, sits in the real world, not in a bubble. They cannot confuse wishful thinking about how the world should be with how the world really is.
To that point, Greenberg now tries to distance himself from that self-delusional and destructive position of a “two-state solution,” claiming he meant it only if “we could find a reliable peace partner among the Arabs.” Well, Rabbi Greenberg, how did that work out for you? We must assume that he never heard of taqiyya, an Islamic concept that allows lying to confound and defeat enemies through deception.
Yitz Greenberg claimed that Ben-Gvir’s law cheapens the Jewish values of Israeli society.
When you quote Rambam to bolster your arguments, does that mean you are bound by halacha as the Rambam taught? Or do you take the liberty to reconstruct or deconstruct all the areas of the Torah that do not fit your worldview?
Furthermore, for two thousand years, Jews have been treated to the “ethical standards” of the international community. Has Zoosman thought this nonsense out?
Israel is unlike any other nation. No one else gives up over a thousand convicted murderers, including Yahya Sinwar, to bring home one precious Jewish life, Gilad Shalit. Israel needs the death penalty to ensure that convicted killers are executed and not released to kill again.
Israel cannot afford to “virtue signal” its morality at the expense of its citizens’ safety. We must not march to the false concept of “Mah Yomru Hagoyim?” (“What will others say?”).
The death penalty is just. It is definitely Jewish. This law must be approved. Confusing compassion with justice undermines society's fabric. The Rambam understood this, Messrs. Greenberg and Zoosman do not.
PS: In law school they teach that when you have the law on your side – pound the law. When you have the facts on your side – pound the facts. And when you have neither – POUND THE TABLE. Mentioning our past JDL association makes us proud and it indicates that you have run out of valid arguments. Keep pounding the table.
As we stated, this disagreement is dictated by differing world views. Real world versus the Ideal. We live in the real world.
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Dr. Alex Sternberg was the chief karate instructor of the JDL and was a Kahane confidant (1968–1972). He is the author of Recipes from Auschwitz: The Survival Stories of Two Hungarian Jews with Historical Insight and the forthcoming The Toughest Jew in Brooklyn: A Memoir.
David “Samson” Levine, MBA, was a JDL karate instructor (1969-1972). He is the author of Revolutions: In Their Own Words – What They Really Say About Their Causes and the forthcoming Prayer: In Their Own Words – Islam–Catholicism– Judaism – What Do They Pray For?
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