Rabbi Michi, I think that on these issues you never take into account the torture the Jews went through—both in the Holocaust and on October Seventh. If it was purely an ideology to destroy Jews (especially in Hitler’s case, where supposedly he did it for the sake of improving the race), why did they abuse the Jews? That in itself is reprehensible, but it seemingly also indicates their real intention even in the killing—namely pure hatred of Jews, onto which they dressed ideological reasons.

I absolutely do take that into account, and I’ve even written about it in the past (I was asked a similar question). I wrote here that regarding the ideological aspect they are worthy of appreciation. Someone for whom it isn’t ideological, or someone in whom sadism is mixed into the ideology, deserves a different judgment. Each person on his own merits, and each aspect on its own merits.

The issue is not the factual question of who is really motivated by ideology, but the principled attitude assuming that this is the case. Obviously there can be a gap between the real motive and the motive the person himself claims drove him, and certainly the behaviors mentioned above can teach that, but as stated, that is not what is under discussion here.