This conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip is not a religious war. Triggered by the militant Palestinian group’s incursion into Israeli lands, the dispute is accounting for the lives of innocent people through the indiscriminate use of rocket airstrikes.

One third of Israel’s citizens are religious Jews who do not believe in the idea of a religious state or even a state. They believe the idea of a state is a repudiation of the faith given to them by Moses and the Torah. Hence, a nationalist war for territory is anathema.

As an aside, I don’t think any sane person would support what Hamas carried out so brutally on innocent Israeli civilians. Nor should anyone on the planet support what Israel is doing to innocent Palestinians, who for the past 16 years have lived in curtailment. These are weaponless civilians being bombed relentlessly by one of the most sophisticated armies on Earth, and seemingly with the support of the United States, which possesses the world’s greatest military might.

They have given themselves permission to kill innocent babies and children as collateral in pursuit of Hamas. The only thing the religious Jews can do or say is, “Not in our name”. That’s what the millions of orthodox and religious Jews around the world, and in places such as New York, are telling Israel — “Not in our name”. Particularly after remembering the Holocaust, where the survivors came through with the mantra, “Never again should any human be treated in such indignity”.

Yes, Israel should go in and get Hamas, who by comparison with the Palestinian population are a tiny group. Hamas will eat and drink, they will have food and water hidden away in their bunkers, but it’s the people, the elders, the babies and the already sick that will suffer and pay the ultimate price for this type of revenge attack.

With today’s technology, war can be far more precise and targeted. As monitored as Gaza has been over the past several decades, Israel knows every square inch of the territory and needs to take a civilised approach to deal with what was no more than a terrorist attack. The Gaza citizens are not terrorists; the perpetrators are a misguided few who believe peace can be achieved through war. On the other hand, I cannot claim Israel is misguided on what its military objectives are.

The international community needs to intervene; this may be the catalyst to cause the kind of intervention that brings lasting peace. It is very obvious the only way to effect a lasting resolution is through full international collaboration that can support the interest of both the aggrieved Palestinian people and the security of Israel.

This is not a war of Muslims against Jews; rather, it is purely a human rights issue of people needing their national integrity to exist as fully independent people. Israel has its right to exist. The world collaborated to ensure it, and now the Palestinians need that right also — the world has a moral responsibility to act proportionately to give them the same assurances as it did with Israel.

The religious world has made a huge mistake in believing that the lord of the universe has a favourite ethnicity. If there ever is a favoured people, it will be those who by example are good, just and noble, and who from time to time, rise up and stir humanity on a proper course.

Look at any revealed word from any scriptures: it will speak directly to those persons to whom it was revealed, exhorting them that they were raised up as a special people, but it quickly qualifies the reason for being special is to do “good works”. And not because of their ethnicity.