Don’t supply your enemy with weapons

Don’t supply your enemy with weapons

A Palestinian terrorist holding an Israeli M16 rifle

I study a page of Talmud each day through the Daf Yomi cycle—a global practice where Jews study one page (daf) of the Babylonian Talmud daily. Last week’s studies included Tractate Avodah Zarah (Laws relating to the prohibition against idol worship and our relationships with idol worshipers).

The Talmud, a central text of Jewish law and wisdom compiled around 500 CE, offers profound insights into ethics and justice. Last week we learned a powerful teaching about preventing harm, which resonates deeply with current events in Israel as Prime Minister Netanyahu embarks on a series of “Peace Agreements” to be made with Hamas, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia and more.

The Talmudic Principle:

In Tractate Avodah Zarah (Idolatry), pages 15b-16a, the Talmud prohibits Jews from selling weapons or materials that could be made into weapons to idol-worshipers or those likely to use them against others, particularly Jews. The text states:

“אין מוכרין להם לא זיינות ולא כלי זיינות… ואין משחיזין להם את הזיין, ואין מוכרין להם לא סכינין ולא דובין ולא אריות ולא שום דבר שיכול להזיק בו ברבים.”

“One may not sell to them [idol-worshipers] weapons or weapon-making materials… nor sharpen their weapons, nor sell them knives, bears, lions, or anything that could cause public harm.”

The Talmud elaborates further (16a):

“אמר רבי דוסא: מותר למכור להם ברזל זכר, אבל אסור למכור להם ברזל נקבה, מאי ברזל זכר? כגון מוטות וכיורות. מאי ברזל נקבה? כגון קרדומות וכלי זיין.”

“Rabbi Dosa said: It is permitted to sell them ‘male iron’ [raw iron], but forbidden to sell them ‘female iron’ [processed iron for weapons]. What is ‘male iron’? Items like rods and cauldrons. What is ‘female iron’? Items like axes and weapons.”

This prohibition is rooted in the Torah’s command in Vayikra – Leviticus 19:14, known as lifnei iver (not placing a stumbling block before the blind), which in Jewish law includes enabling harm.

Selling weapons—or even materials like iron that could become weapons—to those who might misuse them risks violating this principle. The Talmud (16a) ties this to the universal prohibition against murder, one of the Seven Noahide Laws binding all humanity:

“שמא ירצח בו, דהא איסור רציחה עליהן קאי.”

“Lest they use it to murder, for the prohibition of murder applies to them [non-Jews].”

The Talmud’s logic is preventative: it’s not just about immediate intent but about avoiding future harm, especially to Jewish lives, aligning with the principle of pikuach nefesh (preserving life), a cornerstone of Jewish law.

The Oslo Accords: M16 Rifles to the PLO

Rabin, Clinton and Arafat at the signing of the Oslo Accords

The Oslo Accords (1993-1995), a series of peace agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), included provisions to arm the PLO with weapons, such as tens of thousands of M16 rifles and ammunition, to create a Palestinian police force.

The intention was to foster security and trust. However, these rifles were later turned against Israelis. Reports from the Israel Law Center (Shurat HaDin), document that during the Second Intifada (2000-2005), PLO-affiliated factions, including Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, used these M16s in attacks, killing and injuring Israeli civilians and soldiers. A 2002 Jerusalem Post article reported that M16s supplied under Oslo were recovered from Palestinian militants after assaults.

From the Talmud’s perspective, providing M16s to the PLO resembles selling weapons to those who might harm Jews. While the PLO were not “idol-worshipers” in the ancient sense, the prohibition in Avodah Zarah extends to any unreliable or hostile party likely to misuse arms, as noted in other sources (Chullin 6b; Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Avodat Kochavim – Laws of Idolatry 9:8 by Maimonides).

The Talmud’s foresight—prohibiting even materials that could become weapons—condemns such transfers when the risk is evident. Given the PLO’s history of violence, despite Oslo’s promises, the danger was foreseeable.

Hamas and Water Pipes Turned into Missiles

A similar misuse occurred with Hamas in Gaza. Since the early 2000s, Hamas has repurposed metal pipes, originally provided for water infrastructure through international aid, into Qassam rockets.

A 2014 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) report detailed how these pipes were diverted to build rockets launched at Israeli cities like Sderot and Ashkelon, endangering lives and murdering innocent Israelis. This echoes the Talmud’s concern about “female iron” (processed materials like pipes) that can be weaponized.

The Avodah Zarah prohibition urges caution against supplying materials to those who might transform them into instruments of harm, emphasizing proactive prevention.

Personal Story: At the Supreme Court 

My novel about the Oslo Accords written under a pseudonym

In the early days of the Oslo Accords, I was involved with Tzedek Tzedek, a precursor to the Israel Law Center (Shurat HaDin), which fought to protect Jewish lives through legal advocacy. We submitted a petition to the Israeli Supreme Court to stop the transfer by Israel of 40,000 M16 rifles to the Palestinian Authority, arguing that these weapons would be used to murder Jews.

Our stance was grounded in the Talmud’s wisdom from Avodah Zarah 15b-16a, which prohibits enabling harm (lifnei iver) and prioritizes pikuach nefesh (saving lives). Tragically, the Court dismissed our case, reasoning that we were asking them to rule on a “crime not yet committed.” History proved us right, as those M16s fueled violence in the Second Intifada, costing precious lives.

Had this case been brought before a Torah-based Sanhedrin —the ancient Jewish supreme court described in Sanhedrin 20b—it likely would have ruled differently. The Sanhedrin prioritized pikuach nefesh and foresight over secular legal constraints.

The Torah’s prohibition is preventative, designed to stop bloodshed before it occurs. A Sanhedrin would have recognized the Palestinian Authority’s unreliable commitments, as the Talmud (Megillah 7b) advises trust only with clear evidence, and likely halted the transfer to safeguard Jewish lives. (They also would never have allowed the Oslo Accords to have been signed in the first place!)

Applying Torah Wisdom Today

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The Talmud’s prohibition in Avodah Zarah reminds us that wisdom lies in foresight—preventing harm before it strikes. My experience with Tzedek Tzedek reflects the challenge of heeding this call and the pain when warnings go unheeded.

Yet, it also inspires us to act with courage, ensuring no weapon—be it an M16 or a repurposed pipe—threatens innocent lives.

One thing that we have learned as a Nation from the failed Oslo Accords, the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza and ultimately October 7 is that even the land given to terrorists can be weaponized (not just metal pipes).

Now you can understand why PM Netanyahu implied at the White House this week that there will never be a “Two State Solution.”
Shalom and Blessings for Peace from Jerusalem,

R. Shmuel Veffer