There’s absolutely no precedent for separating a population from their government. The Japanese were accountable for the actions of their imperial government, the Germans were held accountable for the atrocities committed by the Nazis. The different approaches seem to depend upon the seriousness of the threat. The threat presented by the Axis powers in WWII was existential and endangered our national survival. We don’t feel threatened by the Jihad so we judge the Israeli approach as too harsh, despite the fact that the Jihad promises to completely annihilate the Jews. Maybe we should consider how they feel about a genocide and quit judging them from the safety of our bubble. I know; that’s just crazy talk.
How exactly were the Germans held accountable? Seems to me the average German got off Scott free.