The conflict between the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) and Hamas has plunged the region into deeper and deeper crisis since the “October 7” attacks by Hamas in 2023, which killed more than 1,195 people. As the region shudders from unprecedented shocks and realignments, the health authorities in Gaza have reported at least 53,000 deaths from Israeli attacks as of May 2025. Factoring in figures from the same period by Israeli military intelligence, which listed 8,900 fighters as confirmed or likely dead, it would mean that 83 per cent of the total Palestinian dead are civilians. The tactics of the IDF have led to accusations from various international bodies, including the UN, of genocide sanctioned by the Israeli government: “It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.” (UN News)

A recent BDG article by Brian Victoria published plainly and fearlessly interrogates the role of an Israeli-born Zen teacher in offering advice to IDF soldiers. It is a follow-up to his previous article, which questioned whether there is a spiritual cost paid when Buddhism, in its attempts to influence and serve the state, participates in, supports, or sanctions state-led warfare. Whether or not such warfare leads to genocide, Victoria argues that Buddhist monks, priests, and chaplains are prioritizing their nation and national interests alongside or even above the teachings of their spiritual tradition. In his recent article, Victoria argues that the peaceful principles of the Buddha, embodied in the first precept of not taking life, is a far cry from the Zen principles harnessed by Buddhist teachers for the sake of refining soldiers’ martial methods.

To refrain from killing, importantly, does not mean that Buddhists need to detach from influencing and working with individuals and bodies in authority. There are ways to steer policy toward more peaceful agendas. And in the case of the Gaza crisis, a resolution toward peace, whether through public pressure, diplomacy, and mediation by the major powers, especially the US, is always worth fighting for. The historical Buddha was closely connected to kings and princes, and successive influential sanghas and ecclesiastic figures across Asia have historically found themselves in close proximity to, or even in the heart of, government. To possess and wield influence is always better than to not be able to do so, but to what end or grand strategy?

For years, American Buddhists have been drawing on a limited pool of experience of contact with government officials at official events—from Vesak celebrations at the White House, which lasted until 2024 (hosted by then-second gentleman Douglas Emhoff—husband of former vice-president Kamala Harris), to contestations over specific government policies and actions such as immigration and environmental regulations.

The most recent and prominent was the detention of Palestinian student and legal US resident Mohsen Mahdawi by ICE. Mahdawi was, according to a 15 April Facebook post by Buddhist Association of the United States president Bhikkhu Bodhi, “driven to the brink of despair” after the murder of his uncle and several other relatives by Israeli occupation forces. A coalition of 135 Buddhist leaders and teachers signed an open letter demanding the release of Mahdawi and other student activists. A second letter, written by Bhikkhu Bodhi, defended Mahdawi’s character. His release was ordered on 30 April, with the federal judge, Geoffrey W. Crawford, stating that Mahdawi was charged with no crime and his arrest was therefore unlawful.

The passionate lobbying demonstrated by American Buddhists regarding the Gaza issue is a credit to not only Bhikkhu Bodhi, who has been one of the great moral voices of American Buddhism for decades, but also the wider US sangha. Buddhists are a minority that make up around 1 per cent of the US population, yet they are increasingly prominent and vocal on issues of domestic and global concern, reacting to grave violations of human dignity and nonviolence. These are key ideas in Buddhist ethical thought that, rather than being ceded to be defined or compromised by governments, deserve to be defended by their rightful stewards in the form of involved and concerned Buddhists.

In light of the legitimate concerns raised by Victoria about Buddhist complicity in fanning the flames of war (namely, through advising, counseling, and supporting a national military accused of genocide), a greater philosophical battle looms between Buddhists who believe in the instrument of war as a legitimate, limited means of last resort in enforcing peace (an opinion circulating among certain Dharma circles that support a Buddhist presence in the militaries of the world) and Buddhists who believe that war is objectionable no matter the circumstances. This philosophical debate is already unfolding publicly on social media, and in the privacy of heated conversations or tense exchanges between friends and family members.

The reality of military action as the highest, state-approved expression of said violence has been uncomfortably ambiguous to religious leaders and writers for centuries, from Augustine to Amoghavajra. This ambiguity is at the heart of what it means to influence government with compassion (Skt: karuna) and wisdom (Skt: prajna). It is an unavoidable philosophical battle that will be had, for the simple fact that Buddhists still live in the world: a world that is growing increasingly confused and disordered and cries out for restored moral and ethical direction.

See more

Israeli data shows 83 percent of Gaza war dead are civilians: Report (Al-Jazeera)
Gaza: Top independent rights probe alleges Israel committed genocide (UN News)

Related news from BDG

American Buddhists Urge Trump to Intervene in Gaza Crisis in Petition Led by Bhikkhu Bodhi
Calls for Due Process After US Authorities Detain Palestinian Buddhist Leader and Columbia Student Mohsen Mahdawi
White House Hosts Buddhist Representatives for Fourth Annual Vesak Observance

Related features from BDG

The Prospect of Buddhist Complicity in Genocide, Part Two

Related blog posts from BDG Tea House

Augustine and Amoghavajra—Military Chaplaincy, Grand Strategy, and Buddhist Morality