Publications

The military and political arenas are closely linked in Israel’s fight against terrorist and guerrilla organizations. Israel is a democratic country subject to legal and moral constraints and restraints, and therefore, when it initiates a military operation against such organizations, its justifications are important, as they will later affect its international legitimacy or lack thereof. This article discusses the Iron Dome system, which is designed to provide active protection for Israeli citizens. It attempts to answer the question whether there can be moral justification for Israel to launch a comprehensive military operation against a terrorist organization when it possesses such a system. The discussion of the question makes reference to a system of moral principles (jus ad bellum), which is part of just war theory and can help in making judgments about when there is moral justification for going to war.