Killing Israelis accords with international law
by Matt Giwer, © 2004 [March]
Israel and its supporters, affectionately known as Izziehuggers , bemoan the loss of lives proclaimed innocent when Israelis die. That is the usual "poor us" self-pity. Like it or not, international law is on the side of the Palestinians. International law specifically approves attacking members of a foreign military and the destruction of military assets.
Attacking members of the foreign military with deadly force is approved by the Geneva and Hague treaties. These agreements do not distinguish between on and off duty. They do not distinguish between active duty and reserve.
Israel has universal military service. After all the loopholes and caveats are considered 25-30% of Israelis are either active duty or reserve military. All of them are legitimate targets. It would be improbably bad luck to bomb any gathering of Israelis and not injure or kill at least one member of the Israeli military. The simple presence of one member of the military, active or reserve, justifies any and all attacks. Israel uses this principle when it kills a dozen to get just one so there can be no objection to it.
In Israel the public transportation system is a military asset. It is used every day to move troops around the country and back and forth from the occupied territories. In time of war the entire system is commandeered to move troops to the front. They are as much a military asset as a Humvee or a tank or a train in Nazi Germany. Destroying them is not only legitimate but specifically approved.
In both cases those who might actually qualify as innocent such as children are considered collateral damage. That makes them unfortunate and unintended casualties in an otherwise lawful attack. The parents know the danger to which they expose their children.
The ratio of collateral damage to the intended action is not a consideration in that deaths and injuries are accepted when destroying military assets such as buses. As there is no ratio between a bus and a life it is not a consideration.
Israel recognizes the acceptability of collateral loss of life and limb. It dropped a one ton bomb into an apartment building at 2am to kill one man. In the process seventeen others were killed and over a hundred injured. The Prime Minister personally declared this to be a successful operation. Israeli crocodile tears over their own dead while they do the same and worse is simply a propaganda ploy -- one last cynical use for the dead.
Israel does have a way out of this. It can simply stop hiding its military among civilians. It can prohibit its civilian population from using military assets such as the bus system. If it were to take those steps it would have justification to object when civilians are harmed.
Not only is this impractical it is in fact impossible. Ability to comply with the rules does not change or even mitigate the rules. As long as Israel hides its military among the civilian population all attacks are lawful.
Not only are they lawful but Israel excuses its killing of civilians with exactly this argument. It states Palestinian freedom fighters aka terrorists are hiding among the civilian population. Therefore civilians casualties do not mitigate its attacks on its enemies.
Reference
Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, Articles 48-78
Paradise Now doesn't go this far and is still condemned. No question why Zionists have worked so hard to shut down this website.
by Matt Giwer, © 2004 [March]
Israel and its supporters, affectionately known as Izziehuggers , bemoan the loss of lives proclaimed innocent when Israelis die. That is the usual "poor us" self-pity. Like it or not, international law is on the side of the Palestinians. International law specifically approves attacking members of a foreign military and the destruction of military assets.
Attacking members of the foreign military with deadly force is approved by the Geneva and Hague treaties. These agreements do not distinguish between on and off duty. They do not distinguish between active duty and reserve.
Israel has universal military service. After all the loopholes and caveats are considered 25-30% of Israelis are either active duty or reserve military. All of them are legitimate targets. It would be improbably bad luck to bomb any gathering of Israelis and not injure or kill at least one member of the Israeli military. The simple presence of one member of the military, active or reserve, justifies any and all attacks. Israel uses this principle when it kills a dozen to get just one so there can be no objection to it.
In Israel the public transportation system is a military asset. It is used every day to move troops around the country and back and forth from the occupied territories. In time of war the entire system is commandeered to move troops to the front. They are as much a military asset as a Humvee or a tank or a train in Nazi Germany. Destroying them is not only legitimate but specifically approved.
In both cases those who might actually qualify as innocent such as children are considered collateral damage. That makes them unfortunate and unintended casualties in an otherwise lawful attack. The parents know the danger to which they expose their children.
The ratio of collateral damage to the intended action is not a consideration in that deaths and injuries are accepted when destroying military assets such as buses. As there is no ratio between a bus and a life it is not a consideration.
Israel recognizes the acceptability of collateral loss of life and limb. It dropped a one ton bomb into an apartment building at 2am to kill one man. In the process seventeen others were killed and over a hundred injured. The Prime Minister personally declared this to be a successful operation. Israeli crocodile tears over their own dead while they do the same and worse is simply a propaganda ploy -- one last cynical use for the dead.
Israel does have a way out of this. It can simply stop hiding its military among civilians. It can prohibit its civilian population from using military assets such as the bus system. If it were to take those steps it would have justification to object when civilians are harmed.
Not only is this impractical it is in fact impossible. Ability to comply with the rules does not change or even mitigate the rules. As long as Israel hides its military among the civilian population all attacks are lawful.
Not only are they lawful but Israel excuses its killing of civilians with exactly this argument. It states Palestinian freedom fighters aka terrorists are hiding among the civilian population. Therefore civilians casualties do not mitigate its attacks on its enemies.
Reference
Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, Articles 48-78
Paradise Now doesn't go this far and is still condemned. No question why Zionists have worked so hard to shut down this website.
