“The IDF is the most moral army on earth.” We hear this said, and we hope that it’s true. But what does it mean? How is morality defined in wartime? Is the IDF Code of Ethics in line with Jewish teachings? Does the IDF in fact follow its own Code of Ethics?
Alongside these general questions, are specific questions that relate to the Torah viewpoint regarding what an army is obligated to do ethically when it is at war. What does Judaism have to say about the ethics of war, and are these ethics essentially the same as those demanded by the Geneva Conventions? To what degree must civilian non-combatants be protected? When is an army spokesperson allowed to lie in order to deceive the enemy? To what degree must we put our own soldiers in danger in order to protect innocents on the other side? Are reprisals against innocent civilians in order to further war aims ever justified?
There are also other questions that we cannot ignore, such as how a Torah-based ethic of war deals with difficult passages of the Bible, such as when the Torah obligates Israel to obliterate Amalek and the Seven Canaanite nations. The Torah also allows a king to wage a milchemet reshut, an optional war, for reasons that may not accord with the modern concept of a just war. How do we relate to these laws in establishing wartime ethics predicated upon the Torah?
And of course, there are questions that relate directly to the current war that Israel is waging against Hamas. Has the IDF made ethical mistakes? Where has the IDF acted in an exceptional ethical manner? Is the current war considered a milchemet mitzvah, an obligatory war – and if so, is there justification for certain populations to avoid it for the sake of a higher religious goal?
This brings us back to that opening statement, “The IDF is the most moral army on earth.” Based on the answers to all of these questions, can we say that the Israeli army is, indeed, the most moral army on earth, or are there areas which need improvement in order for that statement to be considered accurate?
To discuss all of these questions, Scott spoke with Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody, whose new book, Ethics of our Fighters: A Jewish View on War and Morality was just published. There are few issues that are as timely as this, and their conversation addressed some of the most important issues facing Israel’s army today.
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