The opening of a war front is a defeat for humanity, a painful truth of which I am fully aware. I accept this reality with deep sorrow, feeling part of a collective failure. Despite this, history has shown that staying on the sidelines of armed conflicts is a complex challenge. Wars have cost the lives of countless people, a tragedy that repeats itself with painful frequency.

My memory is filled with incessant conflicts, threats of total annihilation, acts of violence seeking to redeem or repress. In these scenarios, we often find ourselves judging what is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ based on our values, beliefs, and education. However, discerning between these extremes is a complicated task.

History is rife with examples of manifest evil: the gulags, Nazi concentration camps, the totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century, terrorist acts such as Black September, the Red Army Faction of the 1970s, and those perpetrated by Yasser Arafat in the name of Palestinian liberation. We recall with horror events like the September 11 attacks, the bombings in Madrid and London, and the atrocities committed by the Syrian regime with the support of Russia and Iran.

In the face of these manifestations of evil, the dilemma of neutrality arises. How to remain on the sidelines? How to close our eyes to such atrocities? Peace is undoubtedly the ideal to pursue, and we must strive to keep it as our main goal. However, when peace is no longer an option and it becomes necessary to take a side, it is crucial to do so with a deep knowledge of history and serious introspection. We must not make decisions lightly. Choosing a side in these conflicts is also part of recognizing and confronting the defeats of our humanity.

In this context, it is crucial to recognize the responsibility of not justifying or accepting acts of terrorism under any circumstances. Accepting or seeking justifications for terrorist actions, even under the banner of supposed ‘good intentions’, is unsustainable and irresponsible. This equates to aligning oneself with the perpetrators of such acts. History has shown with painful examples, such as Adolf Hitler, that the ruins and tragedies these leaders and movements have caused to their own peoples, and the world at large, are the result of their own actions, not those who rose in response.

Similarly, terrorist groups like ETA in Spain and the IRA in Ireland cannot be seen with condescension. Their actions, far from any form of legitimate struggle, are based on cowardice and deception, focused only on murder and chaos. Organizations like HAMAS, which perpetrate acts of indiscriminate violence, cannot and should not be justified under any circumstances. Reports have indicated that HAMAS has employed tactics such as hiding in hospitals and caves and using civilian shields, further demonstrating a disregard for human life and international norms of warfare.

It is our responsibility, as members of humanity, to recognize these truths and confront them with firmness and moral clarity. Only then can we hope to move towards a world where peace is not just an ideal, but a tangible and sustainable reality.”