Ethics & International Affairs Volume 4 (1990): Articles: Moral Standards Under Pressure: The Israeli Army and the 'Intifada' [Abstract]

Dec 2, 1990

"The PLO practice of hiding behind civilians has produced severe tests for the IDF [Israeli Defense Force]." Have Israeli soldiers abandoned their moral obligations in war during the time of Intifada? The moral code of the"purity" of arms (tohar haneshek) has served as an absolute standard for the Israeli Army since the creation of Israel. The author emphasizes that although televised beatings of Palestinian women and children have caused an outcry, it would be unrealistic to hold Israeli soldiers to the same moral standards given the political situation; hence the IDF cannot be criticized for having committed some immoral acts under the unique circumstances of the intifada. The Israeli Defense Force has not abandoned its tohar haneshek and has maintained its commitment to moral values in national and international behavior.

To read or purchase the full text of this article, click here.

You may also like

JAN 7, 2021 Journal

Ethics & International Affairs Volume 34.4 (Winter 2020)

The highlight of this issue is a roundtable organized by Kai He, T. V. PaulĀ and Anders Wivel on international institutions and peaceful change. The ...

Eleanor Roosevelt holding a poster of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Lake Success, NY, November, 1949. <br>CREDIT: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights#/media/File:Eleanor_Roosevelt_UDHR.jpg">Wikimedia</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">(CC)</a>

DEC 2, 2020 Podcast

The United Nations at 75: Looking Back to Look Forward, Episode 4, with Bertrand Ramcharan

Bertrand Ramcharan, former acting high commissioner for human rights, discusses why he thinks the "UN human rights system is in crisis" and details the complicated ...

NOV 12, 2020 Podcast

The United Nations at 75: Looking Back to Look Forward, Episode 3, with Noeleen Heyzer

Noeleen Heyzer, former executive director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, discuss the role of women in the UN over the years. Heyzer ...