Posts Tagged ‘Proportionality’
On Proportionality (Part 1)
August 14, 2014
Critics of Israel’s military offensive against Hamas have decried—during Operation Protective Edge as well as previous rounds—what they see as the “disproportionate” Israeli response, even as they lament the unwarranted and unprovoked attacks by Hamas. Even supporters of Israel wonder aloud whether the IDF acted “proportionately” or overreacted. They correctly point out that Hamas’ rockets and attack tunnels do not constitute an existential threat to Israel, and that few Israelis were actually hurt by them. In comparison, the extent of the destruction and devastation in Gaza, as well as the casualty figures, seem quite high. To answer the question of whether Israel’s actions were “proportionate” or “disproportionate,” we must start by considering what the term actually means. Read the rest of this entry »