The IDF is a terrorist organization

The Israeli Response

It is hard to think of a contemporary army that is further away from being a terrorist organization than the IDF.

Key Points

What is a terrorist organization?

The Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of Terrorism (Geneva, 1937) defines "acts of terrorism" as "criminal acts directed against a State or intended to create a state of terror in the minds of particular persons, or a group of persons or the general public."

Some broadly accepted definitions:

Terrorism is the use or threatened use of violence, usually against human life;

Terrorism is a means to achieve political goals which, in the view of those resorting to it, could not be attained by ordinary (lawful) means;

Terrorism is total war: the end justifies all means;

Terrorist acts are often directed at outsiders who have no direct influence on or connection with what the terrorists seek to achieve;

Terrorists often attack their victims indiscriminately .

The Council of Europe gives us a simple-to-test definition: An armed group that deliberately targets civilians.

The IDF is not a terrorist organization by definition.

It does not commit criminal acts - it operates within the Geneva Convention regarding everything from prisoner treatment to weapon use in combat.

It does not target innocent civilians or outsiders - It employs selective targeting of terrorists and aims to minimize civilian casualties.

See argument: Israel is attempting to decrease the number of innocent civilian deaths to a minimum.

Yes, unfortunately, there are civilian casualties in the process, like in any war.

There is a difference between targeting innocent civilians and targeting terrorists hiding among civilians and creating civilian casualties.

Many of Israel's enemies claim the IDF commits crimes and is, therefore, a terrorist organization.

This unfounded claim is not backed by concrete evidence and put forward to hurt the IDF’s reputation.

Considering the scrutiny and close monitoring Israel is under, the fact that these claims never materialize further proves they have no merit. No country goes to such lengths to wage a just war and play by the rules.

From the Media

IDF soldiers providing aid to wounded Palestinians

Resources

↗Prohibition of terrorist acts in international humanitarian law ↗War and terrorism defined by the Council of Europe

Conclusions

Several factors point out that the IDF is not just a legitimate organization but also one of the most moral armies in the world. It develops technologies for selectively targeting and attacking terrorists and warns Palestinians about bombing as much as possible. It is evident in the combat statistics, where it has one of the lowest civilian-to-terrorist death ratios in the world.

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