On Human Shields

    Research output: Contribution to specialist publicationArticle

    Abstract

    Many commentators have condemned the high civilian death toll in Operation Protective Edge, arguing that the IDF's use of force has been disproportionatethe negative effect of military action is too great to be justified by the good it achieves. Israel alleges that Hamas and its allies are using civilians as human shields, by storing military supplies close to civilian dwellings, building tunnels beneath mosques and homes, and firing at Israel from positions close to civilian buildings. Based on this claim, two moral arguments are made: first, that because Hamas uses civilians as human shields, Hamas is responsible for their deaths, not the IDF. In other words, those civilians do not count among the negative effects of the IDF that must be outweighed by the positive to satisfy proportionality. Second, insofar as Hamas is intentionally trying to use the IDF's concern for civilians as a means to advance its own military objectives, one of the positive achievements of Protective Edge is that the IDF is resisting Hamas attempt to subvert morality in the pursuit of an unjust cause. Analogously, we ought not make deals with kidnappers because doing so encourages more and more severe repetition of the same technique, even if, were we to consider this case in isolation, it would clearly be appropriate to make a deal.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages1-3
    No.05/08/2014
    Specialist publicationBoston Review
    Publication statusPublished - 2014

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