Prof. Dr. Atilla Yayla, İstanbul Medipol University

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long praised the Israeli army as “the most moral army in the world.” This is not merely an ordinary propaganda slogan; it lies at the heart of the way the Israeli state presents itself to the world. The Israeli army’s official code of values also refers to principles such as “human life,” “responsibility,” “proportionality,” and “purity of arms.” On paper, this creates the impression of a military institution that places a high value on human life, uses force with great restraint, and takes special care to protect civilian life.

Yet the morality of states and armies is measured not by the texts they write about themselves, but by what they do. The real test of an army is not what is written in its ethical handbook, but how it behaves in the field. How does it treat civilians? How does it use force? Does it turn war into an excuse for suspending law altogether, or does it genuinely limit violence? This is where the Israeli army must be judged. And at that point, the picture that emerges is utterly incompatible with the claim of being “the most moral army in the world.”

What has happened in Gaza shows with complete clarity how false that claim is. International organizations, United Nations mechanisms, and human rights reports have documented that Israel’s military operations have led to “unprecedented” levels of civilian death, massive destruction, and large-scale displacement. In Gaza, homes, hospitals, schools, shelters, and the ordinary spaces of daily life have been systematically devastated. Not merely hundreds of thousands, but nearly the entire population has been displaced. People have been denied not only safety, but the very conditions of life itself. In the face of such a reality, to continue speaking of “morality” in connection with the Israeli army is to empty the concept of all meaning.

Morality Is Measured by the Limitation of Power

Morality, and especially the morality of war, begins precisely where power is restrained. Being armed, possessing military capability, or enjoying technological superiority does not make an army moral. On the contrary, it is the powerful who are expected to restrain themselves. Even in war, children, women, the elderly, the sick, and civilians in general must be protected. Hospitals, schools, and places of worship cannot be treated as ordinary targets of war. Morality is not merely grieving one’s own losses, but recognizing that the life of the innocent person on the other side also has value.

Yet the image Israel projects to the world is the exact opposite. Today, the Israeli army appears as a force that kills civilians on a mass scale, destroys the basic infrastructure of civilian life, and condemns people to hunger, thirst, homelessness, and insecurity. Moreover, all this is done while hiding behind concepts such as “security,” “counter-terrorism,” or “self-defense.” Morality is not a linguistic game designed to legitimize violence. An army does not become moral simply by calling itself a “defense force.” Just as a person does not........

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