Tools
Tools
RILEY, Stephen P and KLAFF, Lesley (2019). Israel, 'Disproportionate' Force and the Media: Misconstruing the Laws of War. European Journal of Current Legal Issues, 25 (1).
|
PDF
Klaff Disproportionate' force and the media.pdf - Accepted Version All rights reserved. Download (564kB) | Preview |
Abstract
It has become common to use the term 'disproportionate' to describe the conduct or impact of Israel's military operations. The media's frequent use of the term betrays at least two types of distortions. First, it confuses criticism of ends (the kinds of military objectives Israel pursues) and criticism of means (the forms of military force chosen by Israel). Second, it suggests systematic failure of moral judgment and moral concern on the part of Israel - namely, wilful indifference to the consequences of its actions on civilians - which are no more in evidence in Israel's military operations than in any other state's military operations. This paper analyses the various forms that this kind of criticism has taken in contemporary media discourse and considers the possible origins of the accusations. It describes the norms that govern the conduct of warfare and the principles that inform the law related to proportionality; these do not provide simple criteria for determining legitimate ends and means, and nor do they yield the conclusion that Israel is a persistent violator of international humanitarian law on the basis of 'disproportionate' practices. It concludes with some reflections on the place of these themes within wider currents of antisemitic practices and tropes.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | This article will be published in a Special Issue of The European Journal of Current Legal Issues dedicated to 'Contemporary Antisemitism and the Media'. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | international humanitarian law; disproportionate force; proportionality; IDF; media discourse; antisemitism |
| Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: | Law Research Group |
| Departments - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: | Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities > Department of Law and Criminology |
| Depositing User: | Lesley Klaff |
| Date Deposited: | 17 Oct 2018 10:13 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Mar 2021 15:00 |
| URI: | https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/22904 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year