Let’s talk about double standards. Because when it comes to Israel and the IDF, the world isn’t just using a double standard, it’s inventing new ones by the hour.
Really? The one army on the planet that actually phones people before it bombs them is the war criminal? If that’s immorality, then every other military on earth is Satan’s private militia.
The Morality Trap
Israel fights asymmetric wars. That’s a fancy way of saying its enemies can’t beat it militarily, so they cheat. Hamas and Hezbollah embed themselves in schools, mosques, hospitals—anywhere civilians are guaranteed to die if Israel strikes back. It’s like playing chess against someone who keeps flipping the board over, and somehow you’re still accused of bad sportsmanship.
This isn’t just immoral, it’s strategic. Civilian casualties aren’t an accident for Hamas; they’re a business model. Every dead civilian is a propaganda victory. And yet the outrage always points at Israel, as though Israel’s morality is the problem, not Hamas’ immorality.
The Purity of Arms
The IDF actually has an ethical code, tohar haneshek, purity of arms. It’s not just a slogan. It’s why Israel uses “roof knocking” (a small warning blast before a real strike), leaflets, phone calls, and even loudspeakers in Arabic to tell people: “Get out now, danger is coming.”
Name me another army that does this. The U.S.? Nope. Russia? Please. Hamas? Only if by “warning” you mean “aiming at your kindergarten.”
And here’s the kicker: the very fact that Israel tries to be moral is exactly why it gets judged as immoral. The world doesn’t expect morality from Assad or Putin. But Israel? Israel dares to be democratic, Western, and self-reflective. So of course it becomes everyone’s favorite target for moral outrage.
The “Disproportionate” Lie
Critics love the word disproportionate. It sounds so intellectual. “Yes, Hamas fires rockets at civilians, but Israel’s response is disproportionate.” Let me decode that: disproportionate means Israel is too good at defending itself. Apparently, morality now requires Israel to suffer just the right amount of death before responding.
Imagine if America were told: “Yes, 9/11 was bad, but invading Afghanistan is disproportionate.” The Pentagon would laugh you out of the room. Israel doesn’t get to laugh, it gets investigated.
The Real Question
So stop asking if the IDF is “the most moral army in the world.” That’s a rigged question. No army in war is spotless. But Israel is the only army that makes morality part of its actual battle plan, and gets punished for it.
The real question should be: why is Israel the only country asked to fight with one hand tied behind its back while its enemies sharpen knives with both hands?
Because here’s the truth: if Israel stopped caring about morality tomorrow, the war would be over tomorrow. Hamas and Hezbollah would be rubble. But Israel does care. Israel agonizes over it. And that’s why this conversation even exists.
Final Thought
War is hell. But Israel is the only country accused of trying too hard to make hell a little less hellish. That’s not a crime. That’s morality in practice. If anything, the real crime is the world’s refusal to hold Hamas and Hezbollah to the same standard.
So, is Israel held to a higher moral standard? Absolutely. And thank God it is. Because the day Israel fights like its enemies is the day the Middle East really burns.
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