NO. Too slow, too little and not enough. (My opinion)
In a word, no.
“Did Israel Use “Disproportionate Force” in Gaza?”
I hope so.
You don’t win a war by using equal force.
Just consider what we would do if Mexico was launching rockets into San Diego killing Americans on a regular basis...
As I recall, if you find yourself in a “fair fight,” you need to rethink your tactics.
How can their response be “disproportinate” with Hamas’s almost daily missile shelling of Israel for years?
Are we to believe that launching rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli civilians is all peachy with International LawTM???
Why is it that only one of the participants in a fight against Muslims is expected to abide by International LawTM???
This has been bugging me every time I hear the phrase! Since Hamas has been lobbing approx. 3000+ missiles over into Israel in the past year, then ‘disproportionate’ means Israel gets to lob 3000+ missiles over into Gaza over the next year, correct??
/sarc
Praying for the peace of Jerusalem!!
War should never use anything but disproportional force because disproportional force ensures that war doesn’t pay for those you are attacking. The idea of “proportional force” comes from academic idiots who want to make war rational, yet they don’t seem to grasp that if one makes war rational, then war becomes just another policy tool and if the aggressors can count on a proportional response, then they have no reason not to use force in the first place. No, war should be as disproportional and irrational as possible to make it as unthinkable as possible for your enemies. Anyone who talks about “proportional warfare” doesn’t grasp warfare. To quote Patton wrote in 1930, “War is not a contest with gloves. It is resorted to only when laws (which are rules) have failed.” Patton understood war, even then. Ivory tower academics don’t and shouldn’t be let anywhere near military policy.
It’s not a tennis match with a referee to keep it “fair.”
“Proportionate Force??” What the Hell is that?
It is a silly academic concept, like “Reasonable Force” — you know, the standard that the Law in some jurisdictions makes you apply if you are defending yourself or someone else from assault. It is easy to analyze in hindsight, but very difficult to apply while you are dodging the meat-ax that the psychopath is swinging at you.
“Disproportionate Force?” Hello, they just fired a rocket at you: their intentions are not in doubt. They do not like you and they mean you harm. They are hostile and if they had anything bigger they would launch that at you too. If they could they would exterminate you and all your mates, just for fun.
Short of squashing them all like a bug, what is the correct, academic “Proportional” response to all that?
Better seek some guidance from one of those pointy-headed intellectuals with thick glasses who made up these rules. Even tho’ he’s never had a real fight in all his life, he has a professional opinion on the subject and he’s presented papers in peer-reviewed Journals on “Proportional Force”. In fact, he’s a recognized International Expert!
Yes way too limited. There are no “civilians in a war”. They are all one big happy family of crazed muslims. They were all dancing in the streets on 911. Let them die in the same streets.
There's no such thing as "international law".
Is there such a thing as “disproportionate force” in a war?
Feed em fish heads Israel!!!!
is israel using disproportional force? well this belongs to every ones personal view in my oppinion. if you look at the numbers only then yes. 1 killed israeli and 300+ killed palestinians in retaliation is disproportianal but on the other side what should israel do wait longer (so the numbers of killed jews can rise to make it more “proportinal”) bevore they retaliate??? the real tragedy in my oppinion is that both “sides” are stuck in a no win situation and many inocent people on both sides will die because of that in the future. and sad to say but it looks like this will go on forever.
All this hand wringing about Israel’s actions... Where was the hand wringing last week? What about the months and years before that, while the Palestinians lobbed rockets into Israel. Where was the hand wringing then?
These (oh me oh my those evil Israelis bemoaning) back stabbing bastards should be tarred and feathered.
Where was the call for a ceasefire when the Palestinians were the ones shooting rockets into Israel?
Disproportionate Force... what a preposterous term. I remember in the final days before leaving for Iraq, my Soldiers were in a use of force briefing prepared by lawyers and being faithfully regurgitated by a young LT. This disproportionate force B.S. was delivered to them and as an example of it’s relevance they were told if they were being shot at with small arms by a single enemy, the appropriate response would be to engage that enemy only with small arms fire until it was suppressed or neutralized. After this sensitizing, cultural awareness and international law nonsense was over - I held them in place and told them; if someone means to do you or your buddy harm - you bring to bear all the firepower at your disposal with extreme violence, shock and destruction. Break the enemy of it’s will to fight as quickly and permanently as possible. Following the initial occupation, my unit spent 15 months in Baghdad and lost not a single Soldier to enemy action.
Borrowed from a Freeper