Interesting Gemara story

[The One and Only Mo]

I forgot which Rabbi it was, but the point will be the same. There were hoodlums one time in the town of this great Rabbi and they were causing a lot of damage. So he started to pray that they die. His wife told him to pray that they do teshuva instead. So he prayed that they do teshuva, they repented, and that was that. I think we can learn a lot from this story. We should ask Hashem to defeat our enemies by causing them to do teshuva. Hashem could do anything, including changing people. I'm as pro-killing enemies as the next guy, but maybe Hashem is keeping them alive for a reason. Now I know they won't ALL repent (I could just see Achmadinajad ysv doing viduy) but maybe a few here and there. I mean, Hashem hardened Pharoh's heart, so you never know, right?

[Moshe92]

We need to fight our enemies physically. We can't rely on prayer alone.

[Rubystars]

I agree, you should wish first for people to repent of their evil ways. That should be the most preferable option. Of course if they are a clear and present danger to good people then there are other options on the table, but you should always wish first for them to be good people.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

I've heard that story told before too, in haredi circles.... (gee I wonder why, hehe)...  but yes that gemara makes a good point.  Only problem is, there is a big difference between neighborhood hoodlums and when you are in a state of war, as the Jews are with Arabs in Eretz yisrael.   A state of war is a completely different scenario.  Maybe then too you could ask for them to do teshuvah, but King David prayed that God deliver the enemy into his hands, not that they repent and run away......    So probably not.

[The One and Only Mo]

I've heard that story told before too, in haredi circles.... (gee I wonder why, hehe)...  but yes that gemara makes a good point.  Only problem is, there is a big difference between neighborhood hoodlums and when you are in a state of war, as the Jews are with Arabs in Eretz yisrael.   A state of war is a completely different scenario.  Maybe then too you could ask for them to do teshuvah, but King David prayed that G-d deliver the enemy into his hands, not that they repent and run away......    So probably not.

See, unfortunately most idiots in Israel don't recognize it as a state of war.