Israel y Gaza, pero con la cabeza fría

[Isocrates]

Por cierto, la proporcionalidad en la respuesta se le puede pedir a Israel por dos cuestiones básicas: porque la proporcionalidad es un elemento del derecho de legítima defensa y porque el propio Israel dice reconocer la obligatoriedad de la proporcionalidad tanto en el uso de la fuerza como en la realización de acciones que pueden causar muertes de civiles.

Los siguientes párrafos provienen, por ejemplo, de la sentencia del TS de Israel que trató sobre la legalidad de los "targeted killing"

The proportionality principle, which is a general principle entrenched in
various provisions of international law, is intended to fulfill that duty. That principle
prohibits excessive damage to innocent civilians. The principle requires that the
attainment of a worthy military objective be proportional to the damage caused to
innocent civilians. This demands that the collateral damage not be excessive under
the particular circumstances. Some see the placing of the benefit opposite the damage
as a concretization of the provision regarding the duty to refrain from exaggerated
harm to civilians. Although the link between the two is clear, it seems that there can
be collateral damage to the civilian population which is so severe that even a military
objective with very substantial benefit cannot justify it. In any case, these are values
based requirements. "That is a values based test" notes my colleague President Barak,
"it is based upon a balancing between conflicting values and interests." That values
based attitude is accepted in customary international law regarding the protection of
civilians (§51 of The First Protocol). It is also accepted in the national legal systems
of many states. As President Barak wrote in one case,
"basically, this subtest carries on its shoulders the constitutional view that
the ends do not justify the means. It is a manifestation of the idea that
there is a barrier of values which democracy cannot surpass, even if the
purpose whose attainment is being attempted is worthy" (HCJ 8276/05
Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel
(unpublished)).
The duty to honor the lives of innocent civilians is thus the point of departure.
Stemming from it is the requirement that collateral damage to civilians not be
exaggerated, and that it be proportional to the benefit which will result from the
operation. This values based attitude produces restrictions on the attack upon the
unlawful combatants. The restrictions may relate to the type of weapons used during
the targeted killing. The restrictions might lead to a decision to employ a means
which presents less danger to the lives of innocent civilians. The restrictions might
relate to the level of caution required regarding identification of the target. All these
are restrictions which strive to fulfill the duty to honor the lives of the innocent
civilians, and will be interpreted accordingly

Así que señalar, comentar o discutir la falta de proporcionalidad no es ninguna barbaridad, es tratar sobre las reglas que el propio Israel reconoce deben regir sus acciones.


Los lanzamientos de cohetes sobre Israel de Hamas son, sin duda, ilegítimos y reprochables. Y los reprocho y condeno ¿Qué más podemos discutir sobre ello? Es algo en lo que estamos de acuerdo.