The Ethics of War

Campus Report ^ | November 4, 2009 | Sarah Carlsruh

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The Ethics of War

Sarah Carlsruh, November 4, 2009

The U.N. Human Rights Council released a September report on their fact-finding mission on Gaza, often referred to as the Goldstone Report because Justice Richard Goldstone headed the mission. This report’s goal, it stated, was to “investigate all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law that might have been committed” militarily during the winter 2008-2009 Gaza War. However, on September 16th Israel President Shimon Peres responded that it “makes a mockery of history.”

Israeli Defense Force (IDF) Reserve Colonel Bentzi Gruber agreed with President Peres at an October 29th Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET) event, “Ethics in the Field.” Col. Gruber defended the IDF’s ethical code and how it impacts the Israeli forces’ struggle in the war against a “new, [non-uniformed] enemy.”

After Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip approximately two years ago, Israel imposed an embargo on the region, triggering the emergence of underground tunnels connecting Gaza to Egypt. According to an October 22nd New York Times article, “about 1,500 of [the tunnels] are said to be crammed into an eight-mile stretch along the border.” The Times also reported that “Hamas runs some tunnels of its own, but local residents say the group does not collect taxes from those that are privately owned.”

Israel was strongly condemned in the Goldstone Report for their military operations in the Gaza War, or what the IDF has dubbed “Operation Cast Lead.” Col. Gruber called Goldstone’s report biased and ill-informed and said that Goldstone “just spread lies.” Goldstone was only in Gaza for a few hours and only “interviewed people that Hamas brought to him,” claimed Col. Gruber.....

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“The rules of fair play do not apply in love and war. “

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