We are responsible for the residents of the State of Israel. Canada is responsible for the residents of Canada. Australia, for Australia. And that's just fine. We are not responsible for the lives of Canadians in the same way as we are for the lives of Israelis and vice versa. This is completely accepted and completely moral and no one questions this. We don't have one world government that is responsible for everything. We have states with their own responsibilities.
Now from this stems the fact that when you have clash of imperatives, this responsibility for one's own citizens takes precedence over the other responsibility to the non-dangerous neighbors. This isn't anything to do with us being Israel, or Jews. The same applies to the United States or to Canada or to any other country.
I cannot evade my prime responsibility to protect the well-being of the citizens of my country. Now, among all the means I could use to protect them, I will choose those that are better morally – better from the point of view of the effectiveness of the protection and the minimalization of the damage to the neighbors of the terrorists.
Daarom mag Israel, moet Israel, moet ieder leger, wanneer het moet kiezen tussen het beschermen van de eigen burgers ook al brengt dat het risico met zich mee dat onschuldige burgers van de ander kant worden gedood, kiezen voor bescherming van de eigen burgers. En dus op de terroristen vuren die raketten op jouw burgers afschieten ook al hebben ze zich verscholen tussen kinderen.
Now from this stems the fact that when you have clash of imperatives, this responsibility for one's own citizens takes precedence over the other responsibility to the non-dangerous neighbors. This isn't anything to do with us being Israel, or Jews. The same applies to the United States or to Canada or to any other country.
I cannot evade my prime responsibility to protect the well-being of the citizens of my country. Now, among all the means I could use to protect them, I will choose those that are better morally – better from the point of view of the effectiveness of the protection and the minimalization of the damage to the neighbors of the terrorists.
Daarom mag Israel, moet Israel, moet ieder leger, wanneer het moet kiezen tussen het beschermen van de eigen burgers ook al brengt dat het risico met zich mee dat onschuldige burgers van de ander kant worden gedood, kiezen voor bescherming van de eigen burgers. En dus op de terroristen vuren die raketten op jouw burgers afschieten ook al hebben ze zich verscholen tussen kinderen.
RP
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Voor het volledige interview zie op onze website: The moralist - interview with Asa Kasher on IDF Code of Ethics (David Horovitz)
Of het origineel op de Jerusalem Post: Editor's Notes: The moralist
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