Q&A: Types of a Pursuer Collective
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Types of a Pursuer Collective
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Is there, in your view, a difference between a pursuer collective that chose its government democratically, like Hamas, and a pursuer collective that did not choose its government, like Iran? For example, would this have implications for its very definition as a pursuer collective at all, or perhaps for the boundary of proportionality regarding collateral damage, or for other things?
Best regards,
Answer
Yes, there is probably a difference. But I don’t know how to draw the line as to exactly where that difference lies. In both cases, when there is a threat against me, I am permitted to harm all members of the collective. Questions of proportionality could be affected by this.