There is a claim about Israel that is often dismissed as propaganda: that the Israel Defense Forces fight wars in a more moral manner than any other military in the world.

That does not mean Israel or the IDF are perfect. No country or military is. But Israel’s record is far better than that of other nations, especially when one considers the extraordinary circumstances under which it has been forced to fight since the re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty in its ancestral homeland. When Israel’s conduct is compared with that of other modern militaries—and the unique challenges it faces are considered—the record is remarkable, even miraculous.

Consider what Israel is up against.

Hamas does not fight from conventional military bases separated from civilian populations. It embeds its military infrastructure among the very people Israel is obligated to protect: in homes, schools, hospitals, mosques and densely populated neighborhoods. It constructs tunnels beneath civilian communities and stores weapons in or near civilian facilities. Its fighters can operate without distinguishing themselves from civilians. In doing so, Hamas violates both the laws and moral principles of armed conflict.

Hamas also understands that civilians can be turned into a military asset. The more civilians are concentrated around military targets, the greater the political and moral pressure on Israel when it attacks. Civilian casualties then become a weapon against Israel itself.

This is the terrible........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)