Dr Kelley Ross
.
"Chief among the limits imposed on war is the principle that civilians are to be separated from combatants. This serves to limit the suffering to be endured by those, the non-combatants, who have not overtly been engaged and prepared to participate in war. A strong motivation for such provisions came from the experience of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), when armies not only lived off the land, taking the food and fodder they needed for the armies to survive and function, but they actively looted the land, even torturing and murdering peasants and tradesmen in the hope of finding hidden money and other valuables.
To separate civilians from combatants, three things are essential: (1) combatants must be easily recognizable, which means they are in distinctively military uniforms, in obviously military conveyances (including naval warships), or otherwise wear something to distinguish them as soldiers; (2) combatants target only other combatants and not civilians; and (3) combatants do not hide or mix themselves among civilians while continuing to fight, which would require that the enemy, to fight back, cannot avoid injuring the civilians"
The problem in Israel is none of these conditions apply. Arabs militants wear nothing that distinguishes them from Arab civilians. Arabs target Israeli civilian populations. Arabs hide and mix among civilians while continuing to fight.
"Like spies, irregular combatants, out of uniform, who cannot be distinguished from civilians, cannot expect any protection from the privileges afforded to proper prisoners of war. They can be shot.
"So, when civilians enter combat, they can neither expect to be treated as civilians, which they no longer are, nor to be treated as proper soldiers, which they have not become. If civilians wish to be separated from combat and be treated accordingly, they must behave as civilians. Otherwise, they warrant the fate of those who seek to evade the laws of war or seek advantage through deception."
Added to this is an optimistic argument that the idea of national-sims is gaining ascendancy nowadays. This seems to be a good thing as Howard Bloom makes clear in his book the Lucifer Principle. If so then this provides a strong argument for Israel and for the idea that Muslims do not belong there. It is not their land. Never was and never will be.
.
"Chief among the limits imposed on war is the principle that civilians are to be separated from combatants. This serves to limit the suffering to be endured by those, the non-combatants, who have not overtly been engaged and prepared to participate in war. A strong motivation for such provisions came from the experience of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), when armies not only lived off the land, taking the food and fodder they needed for the armies to survive and function, but they actively looted the land, even torturing and murdering peasants and tradesmen in the hope of finding hidden money and other valuables.
To separate civilians from combatants, three things are essential: (1) combatants must be easily recognizable, which means they are in distinctively military uniforms, in obviously military conveyances (including naval warships), or otherwise wear something to distinguish them as soldiers; (2) combatants target only other combatants and not civilians; and (3) combatants do not hide or mix themselves among civilians while continuing to fight, which would require that the enemy, to fight back, cannot avoid injuring the civilians"
The problem in Israel is none of these conditions apply. Arabs militants wear nothing that distinguishes them from Arab civilians. Arabs target Israeli civilian populations. Arabs hide and mix among civilians while continuing to fight.
"Like spies, irregular combatants, out of uniform, who cannot be distinguished from civilians, cannot expect any protection from the privileges afforded to proper prisoners of war. They can be shot.
"So, when civilians enter combat, they can neither expect to be treated as civilians, which they no longer are, nor to be treated as proper soldiers, which they have not become. If civilians wish to be separated from combat and be treated accordingly, they must behave as civilians. Otherwise, they warrant the fate of those who seek to evade the laws of war or seek advantage through deception."
Added to this is an optimistic argument that the idea of national-sims is gaining ascendancy nowadays. This seems to be a good thing as Howard Bloom makes clear in his book the Lucifer Principle. If so then this provides a strong argument for Israel and for the idea that Muslims do not belong there. It is not their land. Never was and never will be.
