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Bad but legal: When war is necessary

If we want to "stay human," as Israel's detractors say, we have to defend Israel.

Reserve soldiers at sunset
Photo by: REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
The often improper use of legal words, combined with a certain pacifist narrative, has given rise to the idea that war is both unjust and illegal. Moral judgement on armed conflicts has taken over legal considerations: war is always bad, but still, legal.

With the creation of the UN, the ban on the use of force has become a general principle of international law. This principle has a relevant exception: self-defense—as happens in every domestic legal system. Therefore, when a state is under attack, it has the right (even the duty) to defend itself, resorting to the use of force for fighting back the attack. The launch of missiles on Israel is an aggression to be countered.

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