“Never think that war, however necessary or justified, is not a crime.” —Ernest Hemingway.
Although these words were written by American novelist Ernest Hemingway in the 20th century, they still resonate decades later. Ernest Hemingway, known for his war-themed works, worked as a journalist before writing his first novel.
This line appears in the preface to his “Treasury for a Free World”—a collection of essays focusing on the post-World War II global order and international cooperation—published in 1946.
What do Hemingway’s words mean?
The quote reflects Hemingway’s belief that war should never be glorified, “no matter how necessary” or “how justified” it may seem. Even when conflicts are framed as necessary or morally justified, the violence, suffering and loss that war brings remain profoundly tragic.
Hemingway’s perspective was shaped by his direct exposure to conflict.
In 1917, he applied for military service to support the United States’ World War I effort, but was rejected because of his poor eyesight. Instead, he signed up for the Red Cross Volunteer Ambulance Unit and left for Italy in May 1918.
His words focus on the human cost of war – the physical injury, psychological trauma and devastation experienced by soldiers and civilians alike – which seems particularly relevant given the current events in West Asia.
As tensions between Israel, the U.S. and Iran escalate, waves of retaliatory attacks from both sides have left more than 1,000 dead — since the conflict began on Feb. 28, 2026, the AP reported.
Israel-Iran-US conflict
Iran launched a wave of retaliatory strikes after the US and Israel jointly attacked the Islamic Republic on Saturday, February 28. Former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and other key figures were reportedly killed in the airstrikes.
A man walks near damage at the site of an Iranian strike in Yehud on March 9, 2026. Israeli first responders said a man was killed by shrapnel and another person was seriously injured when several explosions rocked central Israel, shortly after the military on March 9, 2026. (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP)(AFP)
Explosions were reported in Saudi Arabia, Dubai on Sunday March 8 – among other West Asian centers – as the conflict entered its first week.
At least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran, including 175 schoolgirls and staff killed on the first day of the war in a rocket attack on a primary school in Minab in the south of the country, Reuters reported, citing the non-profit humanitarian group the Iranian Red Crescent Society. The US military said 7 of its members were killed during strikes against Iran. Casualties were also reported in the Gulf countries and parts of Israel.
Over time, several images and videos have surfaced showing the widespread destruction of the attacks. Scenes like these echo Hemingway’s words about the cost of war that he wrote years ago.
About Ernest Hemingway
Born on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, Ernest Hemingway became interested in writing while contributing to his high school newspaper. After graduating in 1917, he began working as a reporter for ‘The Kansas City Star,’ where the paper’s emphasis on short sentences and direct language influenced his famously understated writing style.
That same year, he tried to enlist in the US Army during World War I, but was rejected due to poor eyesight. Instead, he volunteered for the Red Cross Ambulance Unit and was sent to Italy in 1918, where he was badly wounded while delivering supplies to the troops.
Returning to the United States in 1919, Hemingway pursued journalism, working in Chicago, Michigan, and Toronto before becoming a foreign correspondent for The Toronto Star. In 1921 he moved to Paris, where he became part of the expatriate literary circle later known as the “Lost Generation”.
During this period, Hemingway began to focus more seriously on fiction, eventually publishing his breakthrough novel The Sun Also Rises in 1926—the beginning of a literary career that made him one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.
