Mass starvation

שו”ת › Category: general › Mass starvation

asked 8 months ago

You’ve said several times that you can do anything in a fight if victory depends on it. That is, in your opinion, if starvation is the only way to win, then starvation is permissible.
A. Doesn’t this contradict international law?
on. Assuming that international law doesn’t bother you, because in your opinion the war is justified. Aren’t you afraid that any side that thinks it’s right will use starvation to win? After all, even in the siege of Leningrad, this was probably the only way for the Germans to win, and the Germans who believed the war was justified thought it was legitimate to do anything to win.

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מיכי Staff answered 8 months ago

A. I wrote what morality says in my opinion. What does that have to do with international law? I also don’t know if it contradicts international law, but as mentioned, it’s not related to the discussion. B. Again, unrelated. I wrote my opinion about what morality says. You can later not do it because of international law. In any case, this is a second-order consideration. But I will answer your new question now: I am absolutely not afraid of these consequences. Hamas will do whatever it wants regardless of international law and regardless of our actions. Therefore, there is no impact on the result from our violation of the law. It is true that one can fear the world’s reaction and not do it because of that. But again, that is a different discussion.

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ש.ד replied 8 months ago

Don't you see value in enforcing the law itself? The law of the categorical imperative, for example?

מיכי Staff replied 8 months ago

It has a minor value, which is nullified in the face of more urgent and important values. What's more, I wouldn't want this law to be general, certainly not against terrorist organizations. And finally, when the opposing side does not uphold international law but uses it as a cynical shield, it is null and void. Incidentally, the same is true of halakha. When someone uses halakha as a cynical shield, it is null and void. That is why it is permissible to kill a thief even on Shabbat, and there are other examples.